With Blind Eyes
by Dichotomus
Summary: In "society of the blind eye" Mabel changed her mind about erasing her summer romances. In this universe she follows her original plan with surprising, unforeseen consequences. "Why, hello there handsome. I'm Mabel. You wanna go see my pet pig?" "Stop messing around Mabel. We need to find Mcgucket's memories." "Dipper…", Wendy said, face pale, "She's not joking." Warning: Pinecest.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Well, I finally did it: after years of reading excellent and not so excellent fanfiction, I finally wrote a chapter of my own. Before you ask: yes, it is pinecest, and before you start harping on the sick-wrongness of it. Take a moment to realize that this is a fictional story about fictional characters taking place in a fictional city. I'm not saying that incest is good. I'm just saying that fake incest isn't real and therefore it's wrongness doesn't matter. If you don't like it, then keep looking for a story you do like (there are thousands of gravity falls fics. I'm certain one of them is perfect for you.

So yeah, I've never written before, but one of my goals is to keep each chapter as self contained as possible. I'm a college student and between work and studies updates will be few and far between. As a long time reader I know how much that can suck, but I'm giving you the heads up now. If demands on my life keep me from writing then that's what will happen.

If you want to leave a critical review, please go a head, but try to make it constructive by including ways to improve my writing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls nor the characters there in and I am making no money by writing this work of fiction.

_Italics are for thoughts_

Summary:

In "society of the blind eye" Mabel changed her mind about erasing her summer romances. In this universe she follows her original plan with surprising, unforeseen consequences. "Why, hello, there handsome. I'm Mabel. You wanna go see my pet pig?" "Stop messing around Mabel. We need to focus on finding Mcgucket's memories." "Dipper…", Wendy said, face pale, "She's not joking. She doesn't remember you." Warning Pinecest, because I'm a horrible person.

**With Blind Eyes**

_So far, so good._ Dipper thought as Soos, McGucket, and he crept quietly into the hall of the forgotten. Well, quietly for them. Soos' stomach kept growling and McGucket was muttering to himself about how one batch of moonshine had made him go blind for a week, but other than that they were quiet.

"Woah," Dipper half whispered, half shouted, "There must be memories from the whole town down here!"

"No kiddin. Hey look here's one from Robbie," Soos said plainly after the door was shut.

"Really, give it here," Dipper said excitedly, "Oh, what I would give to see what's in here."

"I don't think you need to give anything, dude. They got a fancy tv for these things," Soos said.

"Score, put it in, put it in!"

Nearby, McGucket was examining the strange statue with memory cylinders all neatly stacked behind it. The statue glared down upon him, and for a while he was fearful to approach it, yet he felt drawn to it. This dichotomy left him confused and slightly intrigued. A laugh from Dipper and Soos when Robbie admitted to being saved by a 12 year old caused McGucket to turn towards them, and as he turned back he noticed one particular memory.

"Hey, look, its them words people call me!" McGucket exclaimed loudly, but he hesitated to approach the ominous statue. In another universe Fiddleford would not have minded the statue at all, and would have just jumped right on top of it to grab the memory, but that was in another universe. A few precious moments past as Dipper and Soos removed Robbie's memory from the tv, and walked over to Old Man McGucket.

"Good eye, McGucket," Dipper said, "Soos, mind giving me a boost?"

"Sure thing, dude."

"It's weird…why are these ones so orderly when all the others are in piles?" Dipper asked as Soos lifted him.

"Don't know, dude, maybe these were the first ones the society wiped, and after a while they got sloppy."

"Gotcha," Dipper exclaimed as he grabbed McGucket's memory and released a pressure switch.

Dipper's look of triumph as he came one step closer to solving Gravity Falls' mysteries quickly dissolved into fear as the eyes of the statue started glowing an ominous shade as an alarm started blaring. Old Man McGucket dove into a pile of memory cylinders as Dipper and Soos prepared to fight.

"We are in so much trouble," Dipper shouted over the alarm. Little did Dipper know, getting caught was the least of his troubles.

"Testosterone," Wendy with her hair pulled over her lip gave her best 'cool guy' impersonation, which was pretty damn cool.

Mabel leapt up, and took a long inhale, "Hi, I'm Mable! I'm 12 and own a pig! You wanna get married!"

Wendy laughed, "Honestly, that was perfect. You should just forget about guys, man. They are nothing but trouble. Take it from someone who's had too many 'summer romances'. You are better off without them."

Mabel gasped, "Wendy,_ that's it. Forget about guys_!" as she ran to the chair. "All I need to do is type 'summer romances' into this thing and **zap** all my heartache will be gone!"

"Woah, there, kid. You don't even know how that thing works. What if you wipe out something important? Like learning how to read or breathe or-"

"One of those terrible summer songs you can't get out of your head?" Mabel interrupted.

"Alright, you first. But first, give me a name of one of your failed summer romances so we can check afterwards to see if it worked," Wendy pointed out.

"Good point. Alright here's one, Norman Man."

"W-what?" Wendy half laughed in an incredulous tone.

"He turned out to be a bunch of psycho gnomes. Talk about a bummer," Mabel emphasized this with a farting sound and a thumb's down.

"All right, one summer romances wipe coming up," Wendy said as she entered the words into the device.

However just as she was about to fire the device, the alarm started blaring. Startled, Wendy's hand slipped and deleted summer from the settings screen, and the device went off. A surge of blue-white energy impacted Mabel's eyes and with a shout of discomfort all of Mabel's memories of romance were gone.

After a brief struggle the society of the blind eye had everyone tied up to a stone pillar. Blind Ivan had just finished gloating about the inner workings of the society.

"…Everyone has something they'd wish to forget. In fact Wendy just finished using the ray on that little girl."

"Wha? Wendy, why would you do something like that?! I can't believe you would be so irresponsible," Dipper seethed.

"Hey now, Mabel was very convincing. And anyway she's fine, I mean just look at her," Wendy defended.

"Don't get angry at Wendy, handsome. She was only helping me out. I'm Mabel by the way," Mabel batted her eyes at him in an overly dramatic way with a cute grin on her face.

Dipper had seen that look directed at many a clueless boy before, and for a second he thought that Mabel was using this as a chance to tease him as she enjoyed doing so much.

"Mabel, now is not the time for jokes, if you hadn't noticed we are about to have our minds erased."

"Life is full of surprise opportunities. Like right now for instance; Mr. Creepy-Baldy tied me up next to a cutie. Do you _really_ expect me to pass up the chance?"

Dipper glanced at Wendy in confusion and noticed a look of dawning horror on her face as she paled.

"Dipper, she's not joking. She doesn't remember you," Wendy whispered. You could count all her freckles by this point.

"But _why_?"

"…and now you will forget everything you learned during this summer!" Ivan smirked knowing that the confusion that Mabel's apparent amnesia would cause would paralyze the boy permanently. Dipper Pines will never again be a threat.

Just as he was about to fire, Old Man McGucket swooped in to save the day with a Dixie battle cry, "I found some liquid courage and weapons in the miners' gallery. Now fight like a hillbilly at a family reunion!"

This time the struggle lasted longer, but in the end Old Man McGucket saved the day by being an insane meat shield, and all the members of the Society were captured and tied up to the same pillar as earlier. Luckily, Sprott was rerobed before being tied up, because "ain't no one wants to be seeing that," as Fiddleford so eloquently put it. Dipper looked around with a feeling of pride at the victory they had all accomplished, but then his eyes fell on Mabel who winked at him in a slightly flirtatious way. Dipper felt himself flush rapidly. This strangely infatuated Mabel may be interesting, but when she looked at him he saw no flash of recognition. She had yet to use his name once during the struggle. Dipper clutched the device as a moment of fear hit him. What if Mabel would never remember him again? All their precious memories that they and they alone shared: gone forever. All those memories of Halloweens past, all those moments when it was just the two of them sharing anything and everything, now carried by him alone. A wave of loneliness that he had never known could exist crashed over him as he thought these things. For a moment all Dipper could think to do is despair, yet he steeled himself. Dipper stepped forward to the tied up society members with his face set in grim determination. Mabel shifted slightly. She was acutely aware of Dipper's change in demeanor. He went from happy to sad to strong in no time flat.

_He sure is easy to read. That look of resolve suits him. When all this is done I hope to see him again. It seems like we're a group of good friends. I remember hanging with Wendy and Soos, and this mysterious stranger seems to know me. Oh, I know, alls I gotta do is ask him to hang out with us later. He seems nice, I'm sure he'll agree!_ Mabel thought to herself happily.

Dipper took a breath to steady himself.

"Now you're going to be answering some questions. Why would the device wipe Mabel's memories of me?"

Ivan grumbled, "The device wipes everything related to the subject that is entered into it."

"That's not helpful," Wendy countered crossly, "Why would the device when set to 'summer romances' erase Mabel's memories of her brother!"

_**"Say WHAT!"**_ Mabel shouted in shock, "Wendy, I thought you knew me better. Doncha know I'm an only child?"

Wendy turned to Mabel, a little off put by Mabel's vehemence. While Dipper felt as if a knife was in his heart. She really didn't have a single memory of him.

"This isn't getting us anywhere. We need to focus on getting answers," Dipper spoke up, but his voice had a tremor in it, and turned back to Ivan, "Answer Wendy's question!"

Ivan threw his head back and laughed maliciously, "You don't get it yet, do you? The device would be useless if it only wiped out conscious memories. What do you think would happen if it only wiped out what was conscious? Gravity Falls would have been filled with people so paralyzed by various phobias that they wouldn't be able to get out of bed. No, the only way for people to truly be free from the burden of their memories is for us to erase both conscious and subconscious memories: memories of both thought and feeling," Ivan noticed a look of surprise then a slow dawning realization on Dipper's face, "Oh, good, you're finally starting to see the light, but just to be clear: somewhere deep within her heart Mabel saw you in a romantic light and saw enough of your time together as romantic that when the ray was used on her it wiped clean all recollection of you-" During this speech it was clear that Ivan was enjoying laying bare such an unutterable taboo. His tone both mocking and gleeful, but before he could finish twisting the proverbial knife in Dipper's back Mabel interjected.

"Hey now, if you enjoy being a butthead to...," She turned to Dipper, "It's Dipper, right?" Dipper nodded. Mabel grinned, "You have _got_ to tell me how you got that kickin' name sometime." She turned back to Ivan. "Where was I—oh yeah—if you enjoy being a butthead to Dipper, who it seems to be an all-around awesome guy and good friend, then maybe I should give ya a name tag."

Mabel whipped out a sharpie from her sleeve, and scribbled out the 'knowledge' tattoo and wrote 'butthead' in big bold letters on his forehead, while making sound effects.

Ivan sneered, "That's not funny."

"It kinda is," Dipper chuckled weakly._ Leave it to Mabel to make me laugh, while my world is ending._

"It totally is," Wendy agreed with a lazy laugh.

"Where did she get the marker from?" Soos asked perplexed.

"You never know when a sharpie could save your life, Soos," Mabel answered in a sage manner.

Dipper cleared his throat as he stepped up to take point again even though all he wanted to do was rock back and forth in a corner, "Leaving aside why I was removed from Mabel's mind, how do we restore her memories? Is there a reverse setting on the ray gun?" His voice was wavering from the emotions he was feeling: hope and dread for the answer he awaited on.

"Ha, we are the Society of the Blind Eye. We only erase. We never restore," Ivan mocked.

In any other situation Dipper would have kept cool, but now his sister was on the line, Dipper felt an odd sort of clarity in his mind as anger flashed hot in his heart. He rushed forward and grabbed Ivan by his robe, and pulled him forward to glare him in the eye, "That doesn't answer the question: **is there a reverse setting or not!**"

"You know this tactic would be more intimidating if your arms were stronger."

Dipper brought his hand back, made a fist, and slammed it as hard as he could into Ivan's face with a yell.

"I was right," Ivan laughed even though his lip was bruising slightly, "You need to be stronger in order to beat the answer out of me, but I'm feeling gracious," his tone had returned to mocking, "No there is no reverse setting. Our founder didn't design the ray to work in reverse. It can only erase. Oh, and before you ask," Ivan's sneer grew, "Those cylinders have a limited capacity. Eventually they start overwriting memories, and considering the number of times it was used after Mabel used it, I would say that none of Mabel's memories remain recorded."

Dipper felt his heart stop and a cold feeling developed in his stomach. You know the feeling when you are about to drop down the first hill of a roller coaster? The feeling of fear and excitement: that's what Dipper would latter describe it as, but at that very moment all Dipper could recognize was the fear. He felt as if he were falling to certain death.

_Mabel might never remember me again._ Dipper felt his eyes sting. He wiped angrily at his eyes.

"You okay there, dawg?"

"Chin up, Dipper. I'm still me," Mabel patted him on the back, "If we were friends before, we can be friends again!"

"Yeah…" Dipper said as he turned toward Mabel, "Yeah, you're right!" Dipper needed to know that he still had Mabel even though she couldn't remember him, so he placed both his hands on her shoulders, and looked her deeply in the eyes with an intensity that few 12 year olds could muster. Mabel looked intently back with her mouth slightly agape from the surprise of this initiated contact and a flush on her cheeks. "I swear to you, Mabel, I will find a way to return your memories. I don't care if I have to turn Gravity Falls upside down or fight 10,000 monsters or dive into the depths of hell, I will make you whole again."

"You must be a hero, huh, Dip—"

But Dipper was too overwhelmed with emotion to wait to hear her finish. He pulled her in for the hardest hug his skinny arms could manage. Mabel was startle for a moment: this strange boy she just met was hugging her like his life depended on it. _Did he just bury his face in my hair? Did he just take a__** sniff**__?_ But she felt safe in his arms so she figured she should just go with it;_ after all he is a total cutie,_ so she wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek on his shoulder.

Dipper's thoughts were racing: _Mabel is still Mabel. She's here. She's safe. She still acts like Mabel. She still feels like Mabel. She has the same voice, the same personality, the same scent. God bless scratch and sniff clothing. She is still Mabel. How long have I been hugging her? Too long. Probably too long, but I don't care. I need this._

"You know I don't mean to break up this moment, dudes, but I think we should find out what to do with these dudes," Soos gestured over to the society members.

Dipper slowly released Mabel who giggled and gave him one last squeeze. The look on her face was reminiscent of that time she was high on Smile Dip. _Yep, I definitely hugged her too long._

Dipper turned back to Blind Ivan and the rest of the society, "I have an idea on what to do with them."

"It does not matter what you do. The society will come back and we will secure our secrets. No matter what we will always remember. We _will_ track down each and every one of you, and erase your memories of the mysteries of Gravity Falls!" Blind Ivan was emphatic.

"Oh, I wouldn't be too certain of that," Dipper said smugly and he set the device and pointed it at the Society. "Say cheese!"

As the former members of the Society of the Blind Eye generously tipped McGucket on the way back to their usual lives and in the case of Ivan to the life of a travelling banjo player, Mabel approached Dipper.

"Hey Dipperton, I know things have been cray cray for you lately, but I wanted to let you know that we should definitely hang out later. Whaddja say?"

"Mabel….we share the attic."

"Wha, really?" Dipper nodded in response. "That ray really did a number on me. I could have sworn I had the attic to myself." With an inhalation as an idea formed in her head, "It's like we're have a sleep over _**every**_ night! Dippingsauce, this is gonna be so much _fun_!"

Dipper grinned at the nickname. _Somethings never change I guess._

Wendy approached the two as Mabel said that.

"Hey, guys. Mabel I didn't get the chance to check, but does the name Norman mean anything to you?"

"Ew, gross: How could a guy turn out to be gnomes?"

Wendy's eyes widened ever so slightly at the implication of this. She turned to Dipper.

"Hey, Dipper, could I talk to you….alone."

"Sure Wendy," Dipper said as they walked a few paces away and Mabel went to chat with Soos about their latest adventure: "And that huge, black guy literally **punched** through a brick wall. Wasn't that awesome, Soos?"

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

Wendy took a breath and responded, "I think it's important that we impress upon Mabel the truth that you two are siblings, Dipper."

Dipper shifted on his feet in nervousness, "I don't think that would be necessary, Wendy." Wendy looked like she was about to argue the point, so Dipper decided to lay out why, "Mabel will get her memories back eventually. I will find a way. In the meantime I don't think we should burden Mabel with such an earth shattering revelation. She would go to sweater town for a week, trust me on that."

"Sweater town?" Wendy half smiled, incredulous.

"It's a coping mechanism."

"All that aside. I think she likes you, Dipper. It's a bad idea to let that grow."

"Don't worry about that: Mabel is in a boy crazy phase. By the end of the week, she'll have a crush on a different boy," Dipper didn't show it but saying that Mabel would move on hurt a little, but he attributed the feeling to the emotional roller-coaster he was on.

"You sure?" Wendy double checked uncertain.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Dipper said as he and Wendy turned back to the group.

Dipper greeted them and said, "It's getting late. Let's go watch McGucket's memory and get out of here."

Dipper was putting on a brave face of confidence and certainty as they all headed back into the museum, but truth be told he wasn't certain about anything now. But they had a mission to complete, before he could get to the real mission: Finding Mabel's memories. Finding the author just got knocked down to second place.

Somewhere in Gravity Falls was the key to success, and Dipper would be damned before he gave up on finding it.


	2. Chapter 2: Knowing you all over again

So, I realized after posting the first chapter that I wrote it with training wheels on. It's AU, but it was pretty much the episode "society of the blind eye" with a few alterations. Now the training wheels have come off. I need to develop plot and adorable incestuous romance all on my own. It's actually harder than I thought it would be. I'll keep cracking at it and see if i can keep the quality up when there's no road map to follow

Disclaimer: Gravity Falls is not owned by me, and I will never earn a cent by writing this fiction. Gravity Falls is owned by Disney and Alex Hirsch who is infinitely more creative than me.

With Blind Eyes

Chapter 2

Soos gave Mabel and Dipper a lift to the Mystery Shack after first dropping McGucket off at the dump ("It's back to the life of building giant robots from junk scraps for me. Really, it's all I live fer. It ain't lonely at all. Feel free tah visit anytime, yah hear?"), and Wendy off at the start of a dirt road, "It's cool, Soos. I can walk from here." Dipper suspected that Wendy didn't want them to see her home, but, while his mystery radar had picked up something to investigate, his heart just wasn't in it. He needed to focus on tracking down Mabel's cure. He knew that it didn't matter what sort of interesting distractions came his way, Mabel would always come first. Dipper startled as that thought crossed his mind.

_It's funny, but now that I realize that Mabel comes first, I don't find it surprising at all. If anything I'm surprised that it took me so long to notice it. _Dipper looked over at Mabel as she sang loudly and completely off-key with Soos' radio. Dipper felt a goofy grin spread across his face as Mabel continued belting out to a standard summer pop song. _Looking back, it has always been that way. There are so many times in this summer alone that I've placed Mabel's needs above everything else. Allowing her to get me fired from the pool by saving Mermando was just one of those times, and, now that I think of it, it was the fact that Mabel was in danger that drove me to humiliate myself by doing the lamby dance inside that haunted convenience store._ Dipper took a second look at Mabel. _Some things never change. Mabel coming first is one of them. So long as I don't lose sight of that everything will be okay._

Soos pulled up to the Mystery Shack's front porch.

"See you dudes tomorrow, and let Stan know I'll get to fixing the back door first thing tomorrow."

"Good night, Soos," Mabel responded.

"I'll pass it along."

Mabel and Dipper walked up the porch steps, and entered through the gift shop. Gruncle Stan was just finishing up counting the day's take.

"Hi, Gruncle Stan!"

"Where have you two been? I had to close up the shop all by myself!"

"At the museum, Stan," Dipper answered, "I had a lead that led there."

Stan narrowed his eyes slightly at the omission of his title. Both of the twins always referred to him as 'Gruncle,' why would Dipper suddenly drop it?

"So, then tell me what happened at the museum," Stan requested in a still cross tone that tried to be nonchalant and a little bored.

Dipper's eyebrows lowered in suspicion at Stan's request. "You've never wanted to hear about our adventures be-."

But Mabel broke in because she was too excited by the chance to share that story with someone else, "Oh my gosh, Gruncle Stan! It was awesome. This secret society of bath robed guys has been erasing people's memories all over town! And for a moment there it seemed that they were gonna wipe our memories too, but Old Man McGucket saved us and we turned the tables on 'em. We caught 'em all, and then _this guy_," Mabel gestured emphatically over to Dipper speaking fast, "interrogated their leader all bad cop style! You shoulda seen it: he was all like," Mabel threw her voice to sound like a gruff cop, "**Is there a reverse setting on the forgetting ray!** We couldn't trust 'em, so Dipper here totally erased their memories of the society. We won't have ta' worry about them now."

Gruncle Stan looked somewhat taken aback by the flood of information, and Dipper could tell that inside his head, Gruncle Stan was beginning to puzzle things out.

"Well, it's getting late: Mabel head up to the attic and get ready for bed. Dipper, clean up the kitchen."

"Wha-, why are you making me do it?" Dipper whined.

"It's punishment for kidnapping all my employees away from their important money making tasks, and also, it's dirty."

"See ya in _our_ room, Dipper," Mabel winked at him before bounding up the stairs.

Dipper shuffled off to the kitchen prepared to spend all night cleaning it up, but to his surprise the only thing that needed to be done was some dirty dishes in the sink. A few moments after he started washing, Gruncle Stan stepped into the kitchen and cleared his throat.

"Are you ready to tell me what happened at the museum, Dipper?"

"What makes you think something happened?" Dipper said defensively.

"For one thing the instant I asked about it you got cagey. For another, Mabel called you 'this guy' instead of one of her limitless nicknames for you. And finally, you didn't call me gruncle. So tell me, what is going on with you two?" Stan was serious on the matter.

Dipper knew Stan was sharp, but after so many weeks of Gruncle Stan seemingly missing all the crazy happenings of Gravity Falls Dipper hadn't realized just how observant Stan really was. _I was really hoping to keep Stan out of the loop for longer than 5 minutes._ Dipper thought to himself. _Actually what I was really hoping for was Mabel to have her memories back before Gruncle Stan got the full story. Oh well, looks like I am in for long, lonely nights in Soos' break room. I can't seem to sleep when Mabel is so far away._

"Don't get too angry now, Gruncle Stan." Dipper shifted nervously.

"Just spit it out, kid."

"While we were at the museum, the forgetting ray gun was used on Mabel—" Dipper was interrupted.

"_What! _You kids_ really _need to stop looking for trouble_," _Stan bit out hotly, "Honestly, what am I gonna do with you always getting into all sorts of hoopla." Stan sighed calming down, "So what did she forget? Algebra, how to swim?"

"Me. She doesn't remember me at all," Dipper thought that he had coped with it adequately in the few hours since it happened, but admitting it out loud to his gruncle reopened the wound. He hated that he felt tears sting his eyes.

For a moment Gruncle Stan didn't know what to do. _I never did know anything about kids. What do you do with them when they cry anyway? Why did I agree to take them in anyway? I don't know anything about kids!_

Gruncle Stan thought while Dipper pulled himself together. Once Dipper had calmed down, Stan asked something that had been nagging him.

"Why didn't you call me gruncle?"

A guilty look crossed Dipper's face, "I was kind of hoping we could skip telling Mabel about how we're related and focus on recovering her memories." Gruncle Stan looked about ready to speak, but Dipper continued, "You know she wouldn't handle it well."

"Ah yes, sweater town."

_Well that settles it, Dipper will have to move to Soos's break room till we get this straighten out._ But just when Gruncle Stan was about to say this, a thought crossed his mind._ But if Dipper is in the downstairs room, he would be bound to notice when I continue testing the portal. Really it's a miracle the boy hasn't found it yet. He's too damn curious for his own good, and if I move Mabel, she'll notice and tell Dipper, and then I'll have to deal with both of them_._ I'm so close. I've waited 30 years for this, I can't stop now._

In an instant Gruncle Stan had come to a conclusion.

"Well, it's late. Off to bed with you."

"You're not gonna—"Dipper cut himself off. He was about to ask why he wasn't moving, but if Stan wasn't going to do it then Dipper wouldn't give him the idea.

"Not gonna what, kid?"

"You're not gonna make me finish the kitchen."

"You can get to it in the morning. Now, get yer butt to bed."

"Oh, Soos told me to tell you that he'd get to the back door tomorrow."

"Oh, good," Stan said in exasperation, "I'll go get the bungee cords."

* * *

><p>Dipper trudged up the stairs to find Mabel already in her sleeping shirt. She was carefully examining Dipper's board of clues.<p>

"Hey Dip, you really weren't joking about us sharing a room! Nice board by the way. Are you some sorta combo of conspiracy nut and junior detective?" Mabel grinned excitedly braces shinning.

Dipper half grinned for a moment before saying in mock defensiveness, "We just disbanded a secret society of crazy people who conspired to erase the memories of a whole town. I think we're all conspiracy nuts now."

Mabel laughed, "Yeah, so I'm guessing that since you came along on our top secret mission to figure out what happened to McGucket and you have already made a board linking McGucket to all sorts of strange happenings, you've also been along on all my other crazy, conspiracy adventures?"

"Yeah!" Dipper's voice cracked in excitement: until they found a way to restore Mabel's memory, sharing his own recollections would be the next best thing. Dipper cleared his throat before continuing in a calmer manner, "Yeah, I've been there for all of them. We've basically spent every moment of the whole summer together. It might have been dangerous at times, but we've always had each other's backs."

Mabel giggled. _He is just too cute. Even when he's dorky it's in an endearing way._

"Do tell, Dippingsauce, I wanna know how my memories differ from yours."

"Well, I guess we can start with our first foray into the paranormal: Normal Man."

"Agh, that one is just embarrassing!" Mabel grimaced.

"You sure were too giddy to notice just how weird Norman was. I had just found the journal and I was absolutely certain that Norman was a zombie," Dipper continued.

"Wrong, goober, but looking back I can totally see why you'd think that considering how pale and uncoordinated he was."

"And don't forget the jam."

"Yes, the jam. So, tell me, hero, what did you do about my 'zombie' boyfriend."

"I tried to warn you about him. You know: convince you to break it off with him for your…own…good," Dipper slowed down as he noticed a knowing smirk spread across Mabel's face.

"What are you smiling at?"

"You were jealous!" Mabel declared. Dipper flushed red in an instant.

"No, I wasn't!" Dipper's voice squeaked as he declared this. "I was worried for your safety."

Mabel laughed at his obvious embarrassment, "Its okay to be jealous, Dipper. I am totally worth gettin' jealous over."

"I wasn't jealous!"

Mabel blew a raspberry at this and followed it up with: "Denial is for wimps! Come on, Dipper, man up and admit it!"

Dipper thought that the only way to get Mabel to let it go would be to give in.

"Fine, I was more jealous than I had ever been before in my life!" Dipper expected it to feel like a lie. He hated lying to Mabel, but it _didn't _feel like a lie. In fact he felt relieved. Like he had been lying to himself all this time and saying the truth had lifted a burden from his shoulders. _Why do I feel lighter now? I just lied to Mabel. I should be overwhelmed by guilt! But I don't feel guilty at all. It's almost as if I haven't lied. Why would that be? Oh…_

Dipper felt the beginnings of panic rise up in his heart at the possibility of what he was half realizing, but Mabel didn't give him the chance to fully process it.

"There, now, don't you feel better?" She smiled triumphantly at him as she threw an arm around his shoulders and gave his shoulder a squeeze. Dipper didn't fully feel it due to being lost in his thoughts. Mabel noticed this and gave his shoulder a hard pinch.

"Ow!" Dipper exclaimed being ejected from his thoughts before a full panic attack could start, "Mabel, you know that hurts me more than it hurts you!"

"Actually, I didn't, but now I do."

Dipper rubbed his shoulder and sulked a little.

"Hey now Dipper don't be like that. Finish the story." Mabel effectively derailed any attempt to mope and even though his shoulder ached, Dipper felt better.

"Well, you wouldn't listen, but Soos gave me some advice. Basically, he said that I had to have evidence, so I followed you and Norman around with a video camera."

Mabel burst out laughing at this, "…and you tried… to deny…. that you were jealous," she said between laughs, "you crazy, stalker boy!"

"It was for your safety…." Dipper defended weakly even though he had to admit to himself that he was acting pretty jealous. _I was stalking them. Okay, so I was completely jealous. That's fine. It's normal to get jealous ever now and then…..of your sister's boyfriend….yeah, completely normal….I'm normal…Crap._

Mabel noticed the look of discomfort on Dipper's face, "Hey, don't feel embarrassed. Guys get jealous over girls all the time. If anything I'm the one that should be embarrassed."

Dipper gave her a questioning look before she continued, "Here I was spending time with a creep that turned out to be gnomes, when I had a total cutie sleeping just across the room from me. I must have been blind not to notice you." Mabel blushed pink as she said this, her mouth turned up in a self-deprecating smirk. Dipper thought the blush looked good on her. _Rose is definitely her color._

"Well," Dipper continued hurriedly eager to ignore that last thought, "You went on your date with Norman, and I reviewed the evidence and found proof that Norman was a zombie. At least that's what it seemed like at the time. So I borrowed Stan's golf cart and drove as fast as I could after you."

"See, I knew you were a hero. My hero."

Dipper blushed slightly at the compliment, but chose not to recognize it. _We are already way too deep down the rabbit hole. What, with her flirting, and my newly recognized jealousy and who knows what other feelings lurk beneath that, I think it best not to tempt fate. She will get her memories back and then we can get back to the awkward sibling hugs. I'm certain years from now we will look back on this and laugh till we'll cry._

"Anyway, by the time I caught up to you, the gnomes had already revealed themselves and had you tied to the ground: Gulliver's Travels style," Dipper continued, "So I attacked the gnomes and broke the strings with the shovel Soos gave me."

"So **_That's_** how the ropes broke! Dipper, I remember struggling against the ropes and getting nowhere, when suddenly the ropes just snapped. At the time I thought I had a guardian angel, but it was you, Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed excitedly.

"Do you know what this means, Mabel?" Dipper mirrored her enthusiasm.

"No, but I know your about to share," Mabel smiled at his energy

"Ivan was wrong. The device doesn't do complete wipes! If it did, you wouldn't remember something I did. You would have remembered breaking the ropes yourself or perhaps you wouldn't remember being tied up at all!" Dipper smiled at her as he finished his explanation.

"That totally explains it then," Mabel responded.

"Huh, explains what, Mabel?"

"Ever since I met you for the second time: you know; after the ray?" Mabel checked to make certain Dipper was following. Dipper nodded.

"Well, ever since then I felt drawn to you. Like, even though I just met you, I felt I could trust you with everything," Mabel gave a brace filled smile as she shared her feelings with Dipper. _This feels right_. "You must have been pretty important for my heart to remember you even if my brain doesn't." Mabel's voice took on a teasing/flirting tone with that last sentence.

Dipper felt his cheeks burn. _I sure have been blushing a lot. I guess it isn't surprising. This is the first time a girl has ever taken an interest in me. But this isn't just any girl, this is __**Mabel**__. I'm feeling awkward and sweaty because of Mabel, my sister._

Dipper knew that years from now when Mabel is laughing about this, he would be slowly dying on the inside.

Dipper started. _How long have I been staring at her?_

Mabel had begun blushing under the intense start Dipper had fixed her with. She shifted feeling a little awkward. But Mabel doesn't do 'awkward.' She just finds something not awkward to talk about.

"So, how'd you get the name 'Dipper?'" Okay, scratch that, she finds something not awkward **for her** to talk about.

Dipper had known this was coming since the museum, yet he still felt nervous, "Okay, but try not to be too grossed out." _Come on_, Dipper thought to himself as he took off his hat, _This is Mabel we're talking about. She's not like other girls. _Yet a small voice countered, _The Mabel you knew had known about your birthmark since before she could remember anything. She could be grossed out by it, and just never said anything on the matter._

Dipper pulled back his hair, face somewhat blank as he prepared for her reaction.

Mabel's eyes widened as she saw his deformity. Dipper's insecurities started to surface as he waited for her reaction. _Here comes yet another, 'ewww, gross!'_

"You have the sky on your forehead. That has got to be the coolest thing _ever_!" Mabel said as she moved closer to him in order to examine him more closely.

"You don't think it's gross?" Dipper asked.

"Why would I think it's gross? It has got to be the neatest thing I've ever seen. It makes you unique." Mabel replied.

"Thanks, Mabel. I—"

Gruncle Stan yelled up to them, "It's way past your bed time. Turn out the lights and go to sleep already!"

"Good night, Gruncle Stan!" Mabel yelled back at him and turned back to Dipper, "We'll keep sharing in the morning."

* * *

><p>Dipper spent an hour with a flashlight pouring over his journal searching for any memory related note that he might have missed, while Mabel snored in the bed across the room from him. He felt his eyes grow heavy as he turned the last page in disappointment. <em>Nothing here. As expected<em>. Dipper closed the book in bitterness, and glared at the cover willing it to give the answers he so desperately sought.

And as he stared down at the six figured hand with a number three on it, his sleep deprived brain realized something. _I only have a third of the author's knowledge. When I was seeking the author that was okay, because once I found him I could ask anything I wanted to, but now things are different. I need all the author's secrets to help Mabel regain her memories. I need the other journals right now. Which means I'm gonna have to confront Gideon. He may not be as big a threat as before, but I wouldn't underestimate him either. _

Dipper yawned. _Tomorrow, I'll think of tactics on get the truth out of Gideon and where his copy of the journal ended up._ Dipper turned on his side and looked at his sister. The moon had risen and was currently bathing her bed in light. _Taking on Gideon for her sake won't be a problem. For her I think I can find the courage to do anything. _Dipper felt his eyes grow heavy as he continued looking at Mabel. Her mouth was agape and moonlight was reflecting off her braces.

_It's funny._ Dipper thought. _Even while she is snoring away, she is still beautiful. She looks perfect in moonlight. Really she is beautiful in any light. _

And with those thoughts, Dipper drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>15 minutes later, Stan started experimenting with the portal yet again.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3 A Fallen Adversary

Well, here it is: Chapter 3. I'm sorry if the wait seemed long for you, Final exams ate my life for a while there.

Special thanks goes out to Gold Testament. GT had some ideas that I think really helped flesh out the Gideon Confrontation scene.

If you want: leave a review and let me know how I'm doing at this writing business.

Proofread by my wife (who totally took me writing fanfics way better than I thought she would)

Disclaimer: I still don't own Gravity Falls, but as soon as Disney releases complete season boxsets I'll totally buy it.

All joking aside: Disney owns gravity falls and this fiction has not and will not generate a profit for me.

With Blind Eyes 3

A Fallen Adversary

Dipper blinked his eyes against the rays of the morning sun as Mabel jumped onto his bed and started bouncing up and down.

"Good morning, sleepy head! The sun is up and the birds are singing, so it's time to get up, up, up!"

"Ugh, good morning, Mabel. Would it kill you to sleep in just once?" Dipper groaned.

"Life is meant to be seized, Dipper! And you and me are gonna seize every moment of it!" Mabel spoke confidently as she continued bouncing.

"Well, I'm awake now, so let's Carpe Diem and get some breakfast," Dipper replied.

"Carpe Diem? Wazzat mean?" Mabel looked befuddled.

"Its Latin for 'seize the day,'" Dipper replied.

"Don't you know that Latin is the language of nerds?" Mabel teased affectionately.

"Hey, I'll have you know that Latin is the language of intelligence," Dipper said somewhat defensively.

"Don't be that way," Mabel replied, before half lidding her eyes as she stepped closer to Dipper, "Maybe you can give me some private lessons later, oh intelligent one."

Dipper started to sweat, "Right, later…"

Mabel grinned at his affirmation, "Definitely, now, onward to breakfast!"

* * *

><p>Gruncle Stan looked dead to the world as he took his first pull of black coffee and rubbed his aching back. <em>Falling asleep at the control panel ain't doing any favors for my back, but it will all be worth it.<em>

"Are you okay, Gruncle Stan?" Mabel queried.

"Yeah, Stan, you look even worse than usual." Dipper agreed.

"When you reach my age, kid, you'll find that some nights the bed loves you less than other nights. But enough about that, we got a full day of fleecing idiots."

"Actually Stan, I was hoping we could close the Shack and have a day trip," Dipper stated.

"And where would you want to go on this completely spontaneous trip, Dipper?" Stan asked skeptically.

"I was thinking we could take a visit to the county jail?"

"_Why_ would I want to go to the county jail of my own free will?" Stan became even more skeptical.

"I need to interrogate Gideon Gleeful." Dipper stated with complete seriousness.

Stan was about to respond when Mabel broke in, "Gideon is, like, the biggest butt on this continent. Why visit him ever? Have you forgotten how he swore vengeance against Stan?"

"Actually, Mabel" Stan qualified, "I think Dipper claimed my spot on the top of his crap list ages ago."

"Pushee, the question still stands," Mabel focused her attention on Dipper.

"Well, you see, last night I was going over my journal when I had a realization: the fastest way to figuring out how to restore your memories would be if I had access to all three journals," Stan tensed up briefly at this before Dipper continued, "I know Gideon had the number 2 journal. If we can get him to tell us its last location, we may be able to find it, and we'd be one step closer to restoring Mabel's memories."

"I think this is going to be a waste of time," Stan said adamantly, "Things were crazy leading up to Gideon's arrest. I doubt he even knows where it last was, and even if he did: do you really think he'd just tell you?"

"Come'on, Stan. If there is any chance of success we have to try," Dipper noticed the hard look in Stan's eye and decided to follow up, "…it's for Mabel."

"Yeah, Gruncle Stan, it's for the May-train!" Mabel followed through.

Unbeknownst to the twins, Stan was fighting a war against himself. **_I have those journals_**_, but if I tell them, they would start asking questions. Questions that I can't answer. Even if I did weasel my way through all those questions, then I'll have to share the journals with Dipper. It'll set me back all summer. I know that little rascal would probably keep all three under his pillow: there's no way I could steal them back in order to keep working on the portal at night. I have to keep the journals to myself. I don't think Gideon realized that I have his journal, so the safest thing to do is…_

"Alright, kids, you win. I'll give you a lift to pay ol' Gideon a visit, but there is no way I'm seeing the lil'monster myself." The look of happiness on Dipper's face caused a wave of guilt to wash over Stan. The fact that Mabel was staring at Dipper's smile with a look of infatuated joy, didn't make Stan feel any better. _Once I have the machine up and running, Dipper can read all three journals till his eyes fall out. Once I succeed…everything will be worth it._

* * *

><p>"Thanks for the lift, Stan," Dipper hopped out of the backseat with Mabel following.<p>

"You have an hour. I want to get out of here as quick as possible," Stan shivered, "This place is unnatural. So many cops in one location…"

Dipper turned to Mabel, "Are you ready to interrogate an archenemy, Mabel?" he said as he lightly jabbed her in the shoulder.

Mabel lightly jabbed him back with a matching grin on her face, "I was born ready," and for a moment everything was back to normal for Dipper: their sibling back and forth was so familiar to him, "Gideon won't know what hit him."

* * *

><p>Dipper and Mabel went through all the protocols for visiting an inmate, and before too long they were standing outside Gideon's cell. ("What? We don't get to talk through phones with a sheet of plexiglass between us? What a bummer," Mabel was disappointed. "We do things differently than the fancy federal prisons. Plexiglass is expensive," replied the guard who escorted them.)<p>

Dipper and Mabel looked through the bars of Gideon's cell, and saw Gideon slouched on his cot. Light form the window fell across his face as he looked up to fix them with a glare.

"Well, well, well…if it isn't my peach, Mabel, and the worm, Dipper," his voice filled with hate, "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? And be quick about it, you're cutting into my time in the yard."

"We've got questions for you, Gideon," Dipper started.

"Yeah, we do. Why d'ja hate Dipper so much? I thought Stan was your top enemy?" Mabel had questions of her own.

Both Dipper and Gideon looked surprised as Mabel asked this question. "That wasn't the question I had, Mabel…."

"I know, Dipper, but I got questions too."

"Well, Mabel, my queen," Gideon said in an imperious tone, "I guess I'll lay out how Dipper earned my just scorn. You see _Dipper_," Gideon said the name this time with venom, "broke the two of us apart. He turned you against me. My Piedmont peach was made sour for me by that wretched interloper!" By this point Gideon had worked himself into a self-righteous anger. Dipper knew that Gideon's rage would only make getting answers harder, but Mabel seemed satisfied by Gideon's answer and in a way she was recovering her memories by second hand accounts, so Dipper couldn't hold it against her for seeking memories in her own way.

Mabel smiled at the answer. _Imma beginning to detect a trend here. I have someone interested in me, and Dipper comes in and saves me from them. Of course, I never liked Gideon all that much—at least as a boyfriend, but the point stands. Poor Dipper, he must have suffered watching me go from terrible romance to terrible romance. Then again, I guess a good romance would have been even worse for him. Oh man, he must have __**hated**__ Mermando. I wonder how Dipper was involved in getting my first kiss away from me. Dipper is one smart cookie. I'm sure he must have done it in a way that I wouldn't notice._

"Well, that's all I needed to know. Dipper, it's your turn," Mabel stepped aside.

"Right," Dipper stepped closer, trying to look tough and imposing. He failed miserable, Mabel thought, he is just too adorable for his own good.

"Gideon, where are you hiding Journal number 2?"

"And why should I tell you where I had it?" Gideon stepped up to the bars, sneer fixed on his face.

"Tell me, now, Gideon!" Mabel could see from the start that Dipper's tactic was going to fail, so she lightly pushed Dipper aside, and turned to Gideon.

"Come on, Gideon," Mabel said sweetly, "Ya can tell us about your little, old journal."

"I'm sorry, my peach, but I'll never tell."

Quick as lightning, Mabel's hands darted forward and latched onto Gideon's orange jumpsuit. She jerked him forward, so that his face was pressed painfully to the bars. There will definitely be bruises from this encounter.

"Tell us where the Journal is, **Right now**!" Mabel shouted into Gideon's face. Gone was her sweet demeanor, replaced by a fierce look.

Gideon gasped and pawed pitifully at Mabel's hands, "Why do you suddenly want my journal so badly?!"

Mabel kept her hands on Gideon's jumpsuit as Dipper responded, "Did your journal ever mention something about the Society of the Blind Eye?" Dipper asked.

"Sure it did, but I figured it wasn't worth lookin into." Gideon replied as Mabel tightened her grip on his jumpsuit.

"Well they had a device that could erase memories, I need to know if there is a way to reverse the process," Dipper continued.

"And you think my journal may have had something about it, well you're out of luck. My journal had nothing about memory rays in it. I would know. I've read that journal cover to cover multiple times. I know more of Gravity Falls' secrets than you could ever find out, boy!" Gideon's sneer deepened. Dipper thought of sharing that little detail about the invisible ink, but decided against it. _Eventually, they will let Gideon out of here, and if he knows of the invisible ink, he would definitely obsess over getting his hands on my journal even more. No, it's best to keep that detail to those that can be trusted. _Little did Dipper realize, the author was serious about trust being a limited commodity.

"So, you knew that your father was a member of the Blind Eye?" Dipper asked curiously.

"LIAR! MY FATHER IS A CLUELESS BUFFOON!" Gideon yelled.

"He is now, thanks to Dipper here using the mind eraser ray on him as well as the entire Society of the Blind Eye." Mabel said with conviction.

"Well, you have been a busy, little bee haven't you Dipper?" Gideon said with a giggle even though Mabel still had him press against the bars, "But I wonder: if the society is no longer active why do you want my journal so badly? Surely, you don't need it. Unless someone you know had their mind erased, hmm? Someone close to you…" Gideon's tone was full of mocking by the end of his speech.

Mabel could see that Gideon was trying to play mind games with Dipper, and grew angry at Gideon for such an underhanded tactic, so before Dipper could respond she said, "Enough stalling!"

Mabel pushed Gideon back an inch before slamming him back into the bars, "Tell us where you're keeping the journal!"

Gideon gasped in pain, "Never!"

Mabel slammed him into the bars with even greater force, "Tell us!"

"Alright, alright," Gideon shouted before continuing in a resigned tone, "I don't know where it is. I had a concussion from falling off the bridge. I know I had it with me in the giant robot, but after the explosion everything's a blur. I assumed it was amongst the wreckage. Anyone could have picked it up."

"**Liar!**" Mabel was about to slam Gideon against the bars a third time when Dipper placed his hand on her shoulder.

"He's telling the truth, Mabel," Dipper spoke quietly.

"Oh, sorry, guess I got carried away again," Mabel released Gideon who retreated deeper into his cell and started crying tears of frustration. Mabel turned to Dipper, "I am totally the alpha in our relationship, Dipper."

Upon hearing this, Gideon remembered his rage, "How dare you treat me so cruelly, Mabel! The entire Pines family will pay recompense for this affront! Now, more than ever. Once I'm out of this damnable cell, I will have my vengeance!"

"Yeah, yeah, come'on Dipper we got our answers." Mabel confidently grabbed Dipper's hand and led him out of the holding cell area. She felt excited from the confrontation. If Mabel stopped to think about it, she would have been disturbed that a little violence made her feel so full of life, but Mabel being Mabel, she didn't stop to think about it for a second. She just reveled in her emotional high and clutched Dipper's hand slightly tighter than she normally would have. Dipper's hand began to sweat.

* * *

><p>Grunkle Stan was fiddling with the radio when they finally exited the prison.<p>

"Sorry it took so long, Stan," Dipper spoke up first as they settled into the backseat, "Apparently exit procedures take longer if you assault an inmate." Dipper threw a nasty glare at Mabel, who only smiled back, "Snitches get stitches, Dipper. Gideon will get his for squealing on us."

"And how will prison justice be executed when none of the prisoners know?" Stan asked, completely ignoring the fact that he had corrupted his great niece to the point that she would even know the inner workings of prison culture.

"Oh, I have connections from our time in the county lockup," Mabel smile innocently, belaying what she was talking about, "Remember our first family bonding day, Stan? Good times for all. I'm probably the best darn Benjamin counterfeiter this side of the Mississippi."

"Darn tootin' you are, Mabel!" Grunkle Stan agreed, "I still have one of yours framed above my bed. You make me so proud." Grunkle Stan had a small tear in the corner of his eye; a look of immeasurable pride on his face. Dipper cleared his throat, effectively breaking the moment. Stan's face returned to his usual dour look before he said, "Well, Dipper, how did your playdate with Gideon go?"

"It wasn't a playdate. It was an interrogation!" Dipper's voice cracked and Mabel laughed openly.

Gruncle Stan waved his hand dismissively, "Semantics. So how did it go?"

"Not well. Gideon had the journal with him at the scene of the giant robot crash. Literally the whole town was there, anyone could have picked it up during the clean-up," Dipper said, a little down cast.

Gruncle Stan felt what nervousness he had ebb away at this, but a new burden of guilt settled on his shoulders. _I will give him both journals as soon as I can. I will. I swear it._ This oath didn't lessen the guilt Stan carried on bit, but Stan was a hard man. He could handle the guilt, just like he could handle anything else the world could throw at him. He handled every stupid tourist to come his way. He handled that Columbian prison. He handled losing Carla to that damn hippie. He handled growing old alone and bitter. He handled it all, and dammit, he'll handle this too. _Who knows? Maybe once I get the machine working, I could stop Mabel from losing her memories in the first place. I don't really know what its limitations are. Maybe there are no limitations and I could do anything at all._

"Well, chin up, Dipper. I know what will lift your spirits," Gruncle Stan said, "Lunch at Greasy's Dinner."

"Yay! Onward, my chariot!" Mabel enthused.

"Buckle up, first," Dipper advised.

"Aww, Dip, always lookin' out for me," Mabel gave him a one armed hug before grabbing her seatbelt, "Click! Onward, my chariot!"

* * *

><p>They arrived at Greasy's Dinner without much incident (if you don't count Stan nearly hitting a miniature deer that was about the size of a cat. Dipper didn't consider it too unusual). They all piled out of the car, and took their seats at their usual booth.<p>

"Okay, kids, I'm feeling generous today," Stan said out of guilt, "Pick anything you want."

"Really!? I'm gonna order a short stack of pancakes and eggs! Best day ever!" Mabel exclaimed; not looking the gift horse in the mouth at all.

"You never let us order off the menu, Stan," Dipper said perplexed.

"C'mon, Dipper, here's your chance to put some meat on them bones," Mabel said with her trademark grin upon her face, "Don't pass it up!"

"Hey, I'm not that skinny," Dipper counter.

"You are kinda scrawny, kid," Gruncle Stan commented.

Dipper felt insecure having his physique picked over by those so close to him, "So what if I have noodle arms. Overeating isn't gonna change that anytime soon!"

Mabel gave a half frown, "Don't take it that way, Dipper. Your noodle arms suit you. Besides you're strong where it counts." Mabel reached across the table and placed her hand on his chest above his heart.

Dipper began to sweat when she left it there for a few moments too long, "Th-thanks, Mabel. You always know what to say when I need it."

"And don't you ever doubt it," Mabel removed her hand.

Stan had observed this interaction with trepidation. _Mabel is acting like she does around her crushes, and yet she's different. Her behavior is more sincere. Maybe some ghost of sibling affection lingers in her heart, and she's confused by it. Yeah, that's probably it. The more she gets to know Dipper the more sibling-like her affection will become! No worries, everything will be back to normal soon. _Stan knew somewhere in his heart that he could be dead wrong, but stubborn, old men have long learned to not listen to their hearts and Stan was no different. Stan put Mabel's affection from his mind

Stan smiled, "Well, you kids ready to order?" Upon receiving confirmation, Stan turned and waved Lazy Susan over. _Thank God she finally stopped calling me. If I ever hear a cat meow again, it would be too soon._

* * *

><p>After a satisfying meal, they all returned to the Mystery Shack. "It's not that late. I can still give a few tours to some saps. Dipper, man the register till Wendy gets here for her shift."<p>

Dipper climbed up on the stool even though there was no one in the gift shop. _Now would be an excellent time to figure out who might have picked up journal 2, and while I'm at it, where journal 1 may be._ Just as Dipper settled in, and started making a list of who was at the crash site (_Gideon wasn't joking: the whole town was there_), Dipper heard the sound of a stool scrapping across the gift shop floor. Dipper opened his eyes to see Mabel bringing a stool over next to his.

"I thought I would keep you company….cutie," Mabel flirted in her Mabel way. Eyes half lidded and a brace filled smile on her face.

"Be my guest," Dipper replied a little uncertain as Mabel clambered up on to her stool which was now touching his.

"So….does Stan make you work the register often?" Mabel struck up a conversation.

"No, usually Stan has you or Wendy at the register. I have a theory that Stan believes customers spend more money when there are pretty girls around." Dipper replied.

"So, I'm a pretty girl now?" Mabel grinned as she teased him her cheeks flushing.

"Wha-, yes…no…that is I mean to say…I-I-…I don't know what to say," Dipper dissolved into a stuttering mess. His face heated and a bead of sweat formed on his temple.

"Ha ha, you're lucky I find your awkwardness to be adorkable, Dipper. Adorkable and strangely attractive." Mabel said confidently.

If it was at all possible Dipper's face blushed even more. Dipper tried to muster the courage to form a semi-coherent reply, but before he could, Mabel punched hard on the shoulder nearly knocking him off the stool. "I'm **joking **with ya, Dipper. Laugh a little."

Dipper chuckled weakly but his vulnerability needed to know something, "Which part are you joking about? Me being adorkable or attractive."

Mabel shifted on her stool, uncomfortable with the penetrating nature of the question, "Look…Dipper," she said softly, "It can be both a joke and the truth at the same time." Dipper kept his mouth shut, "Dipper, I really do like you, you adorkable idiot."

"Mabel, I…I….I think you should get your memories back…before we start anything," Dipper felt like a coward running from his own shadow. His own heart. _I am totally stalling here. I can't accept her advances outright: she'll never forgive me once she gets her memories back, but I don't want to hurt her by shooting her down either._ Dipper would admit to no one, but he also kind of liked Mabel's attention. He didn't want it to end with him rejecting her.

Mabel punched his shoulder a second time, "Sure, Dip. You're lucky I'm alpha. A normal girl would never have been so straight forward with you, or so understanding of such an obvious stalling tactic."

"Normal always was overrated anyway. I much prefer our unique brand of craziness," Dipper tried to recover with a compliment.

"I can tell you're trying to butter me up, but your heart is in the right place, so I'll let it slide," Mabel graciously accepted, "But I'm gonna be expecting a straight answer as soon as I get my memories back. No stalling allowed!"

"Yeah…I'll give you the response you deserve then. I promise," Dipper fearfully knew that if she honestly demanded a reply to her attraction after regaining her memories, he would tell her the truth. Telling her wasn't what was scaring him though. It was the fact that he didn't know what the truth was, _that_ was scaring him.

"Oh, and don't expect me to take a backseat in our relationship, just cause you put me on hold. You know I'm not that kind of girl. Whamp!" Mabel slapped a sticker on his shirt. It had a picture of Timothy the metro train and had the words _No brakes on this train _added to it in sharpie.

"You were looking for an opportunity to use that sticker, huh?" Dipper said with a grin on his face.

"Maybe….But seriously, I won't stop until I get a definite no." Mabel said, her face completely straight.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. You wouldn't be you if you did," Dipper replied.

They chatted for a little while longer until Stan finished his first tour of the day.

"And here you will see our wonderful gift shop. Pick something out for your family back home or perhaps a keepsake to remember your visit by. Bring your selection to the register, where Dipper…..and Mabel will ring you out."

"Awww, aren't they just the cutest couple I've every seen," One middle-aged, out of town woman gushed.

The sentiment was mirrored by pretty much every other woman in that tour group. Dipper and Mabel being on the other side of the gift shop were unaware of their perceived coupleship; however, Stan heard this, and was about to counter it when he noticed something. The tour group was definitely in a better mood now, and one thing Stan knew was that happy customers bought more merch.

"Oh, yes, that's my grandniece, Mabel, and her young man, Dipper. You should have seen the boy the first day he saw her. The first thing he did was come to me and practically begged for a job here. He wanted a reason to spend more time around her. I really didn't need the help, but I couldn't turn the kid down. It put a pinch on the Mystery Shack's finances. I may have to let him go before the end of the summer if things don't pick up," Stan put on a sad face. He was a businessman first and foremost, and he knew how to work a crowd. Sales tripled for that group. In fact sales were so good that when Wendy arrived he had Dipper and Mabel work together on restocking the shelves. His only instructions were that they be visible and together when he brought the next tour group through. He told a similar story to the next group and again sales were way up. He never realized that young love was such a gold mine.

_I should have thought of this ages ago. These suckers are loving the couple angle. I know there'll be hell to pay for encouraging this once Mabel gets her memories back, but this gravy train is too good to pass up. I gotta pay the bills somehow, building and powering the portal is too damn expensive._

* * *

><p>The day came to an end, and once again Dipper and Mabel retreated to their attic bedroom.<p>

"You kids had better not break a window tonight. Looks like a storm's rolling in," Gruncle Stan said adamantly.

"Alright, Gruncle Stan, I promise I won't play with the grappling hook tonight," Mabel replied.

"Same goes for you too, Dipper."

"What? When have I ever broken a window?" Dipper defended.

"Bedroom Minigolf."

"Fair point. Goodnight, Stan!"


	4. Chapter 4: Secrets and Revelations

Well here it is chapter 4, just in time for Christmas, so if you're ready this in December: Merry Christmas. If your reading this in July: get outside and check out girls at the pool. That's what summer is for.

Just a word of warning there is a few cuss words in this chapter. I believe it is well within the T rating, so I won't be changing that. (After all teenages cuss way more than this chapter.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls and will never make a cent here. Disney owns Gravity Falls and they make all the cents.

With Blind Eyes 4

Secrets and Revelations

The rain had started just before midnight, but it wasn't until one in the morning that the storm picked up strength. Rain fell in sheets against the old roof of the Mystery Shack. If it weren't for Soos' maintenance, the attic would certainly have sprung several leaks under the ferocity of the storm. But skilled though Soos was, he wasn't a miracle worker. Stan was much too cheap to remodel the attic and add insulation.

"The kids are here for the _summer,_ Soos. Why should I invest in something they won't ever need?" Stan countered when Soos brought up the matter.

It was for this reason that the attic had gotten unusually cold under the gale force winds and cold rain of the storm. Dipper and Mabel were asleep as the temperature dropped in the attic. Perhaps they might have slept fitfully through the cold, if it weren't for the thunder that had accompanied the storm.

A particularly loud boom woke Dipper suddenly to the darkness of the attic. Dipper sat up and looked around in confusion from being ejected so rudely from sleep. He had been dreaming, but what was it that he had been dreaming about? He remembered a beach and a girl with shining brown hair. Mabel, perhaps? He shifted in his bed, trying to get comfortable again. He came to two realizes at once in that moment. One: apparently he didn't remember all the details of dream he had, but his body certainly did. If his one chest hair wasn't proof that he was in the midst of puberty, then the tent in his sleeping shorts certainly was. Two: he was freezing. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders, a shiver going through him. His thin T-shirt, shorts, and the threadbare blanket Gruncle Stan had provided for him was doing nothing against the cold.

_They say that a cold shower is the best cure for this sort of thing, but this is too much. _Dipper thought to himself as he sat there alone in the dark. He looked across the room to the bump in Mabel's blanket. He could barely make out her outline until a flash of distant lightning illuminated her. Mabel could sleep through anything, but Dipper knew that even with her blanket (which was much better than his own, Stan always believed that the ladies deserved the best. He was old fashioned that way), she must be cold as well.

With that thought, Dipper decided to see if she was okay.

"Hey, Mabel, you awake?" Dipper spoke normally. Mabel might sleep through a hurricane, but her twindar was highly tuned to Dipper. With or without memories, Mabel's twindar was always responsive to Dipper. She awoke immediately.

"Whazzit!? Dipper….it's the middle of the night." Mabel said as she came to.

"Sorry, the storm woke me. Are you cold?" Dipper asked.

"Yeah, I am," Mabel pulled her blanket tighter around herself and shivered, "darn, it's freezing in here."

Dipper saw her outline shake in the darkness and impulsively came to a decision. Normally, he would weigh the pros and cons of any action he took and also considered alternative plans, but here it wasn't just himself suffering: Mabel was freezing too. So for once he didn't stop to make a list about what he was doing (with three or four contingency plans as backup). He just followed his instincts, and his instincts were telling him to help Mabel.

Quickly he darted out of his bed and grabbed his blanket. He crossed the short distance to Mabel's bed and threw his blanket over hers.

"Well, I'll be warmer now, Dipper, but what about you?" Mabel questioned.

Dipper realized that this was stupid, half-thought-out idea, but he was already freezing from being out of bed for the short time it took to cross the room. Without asking for permission, Dipper slipped into bed beside her.

"Well, aren't you sending mixed messages here, Dipper? Just a few hours ago, you told me that we should wait on the whole romance thing, and now you're in my bed, which is totally one year anniversary territory at the earliest," Mabel teased with an edge of mild affront mixed in.

"Believe it or not, we've shared a blanket many times before, so this really isn't new territory," Dipper defended.

"I can tell you're leaving something out, Dipper," Mabel countered.

"Okay, so we've shared blankets on a couch, so this is slightly new territory, but we've been physically this close before," Dipper conceded.

"Imma willing to bet you were wearing something more substantial than your short-shorts P-Js then, huh? Am I right?" Mabel teased.

"Yes…." Dipper flushed red.

"And during those times of sharing blankets on the couch: did it involve cuddling?" Mabel queried.

Dipper thought back to all those times they would sit down to watch a movie at home. Mabel would always start off by his side, both would be sitting up under the blanket, but as the movie progressed they would make small moves. Mabel would shift closer to him till their sides were pressed together. Then he would lean slightly into the couch and she would follow him so that she was partially lying on him with her head resting on his shoulder. Then he would shift again and place his arm on her shoulder. Then she would shift and rest a hand on his stomach. This happened every night that they have ever watched a movie in a blanket cocoon with the lights turned off. Dipper had never thought of it that way, because that had always been the way that they watched movies from like the time they were 5, but looking back on it: yeah, it kinda was cuddling.

"I guess we did cuddle…," Dipper replied.

"Then I guess I won't make a fuss over the audacity of your entering my bed. Just as long as you give some nice, innocent cuddling," Mabel shifted closer to him.

"What!" Dipper's voice cracked at the end of the word, "I don't think we should."

"Hey, you said it yourself. We've done it before, so the only thing that's changing is the location. Besides, the whole point of this is to keep us warm. The more contact we have the warmer we'll be," Mabel countered as she turned away from him and shifted even closer to him, "Now, stop protesting, and spoon me."

"Isn't that the most intimate position cuddling has? I thought you said we were entering one year anniversary territory just by me being here," Dipper was much too nervous to just do it.

"I feel like I've known you longer than a year…and I trust you, Dipper. I know you won't take advantage of me," Mabel made her argument with an appeal to their instinctive closeness as she looked over her shoulder at him.

At that moment another flash of lightning illuminated her beauty, and in that instant, Dipper knew that he could never refuse her. He slowly moved forward so that his chest was flush against her back. His heart was hammering in his chest as he brought legs up to rest against the backs of her legs. This had the effect of bringing his hips forward to cradle her rear. Dipper brought a shaking arm forward to rest on her waist.

"Dipper, I can feel how tense you are. Calm down. This isn't nearly as big a deal as your making it in your head. Take deep breaths. Relax, you don't need to be nervous around me," Mabel counseled.

Dipper did as instructed and breathed deeply. As he inhaled he noticed the smell of Mabel's shampoo. He focused on that. The smell comforted him and he buried his face in her hair and continued breathing in her familiar scent. Slowly he relaxed and as he did so he became aware of new sensations. Mabel's night shirt was extremely soft against his arm. Mabel's legs were soft and warm against his. Mabel's hair was soft against his face. If he had to pick one word to describe Mabel in this moment it would be 'soft.' She embodied the word.

Unfortunately for Dipper, he embodied the word 'awkward.' As he became aware of joys of cuddling, he also became aware of the swell of Mabel's rear end which was pressed into his navel. Since he was a pubescent young man, his body responded in a most typical way. Before Dipper could move away, Mabel gasped, and Dipper knew that she had felt him. Embarrassment and shame flooded through him.

"I'm sorry," Dipper almost whimpered, his face burning "I should go."

Dipper moved to get up, but Mabel (her face was also flushed, though Dipper couldn't see it) stopped him by saying, "No, don't move. It's okay."

"But I…I…" Dipper couldn't bear to say out loud what had happened.

"Dipper, I've been to health class. You and I both know that you can't help it. Just move your hips away a little so it's not pressed against me. I'm too COM-FOR-TABLE to let you leave any way."

Dipper lay back down, and shifted his hips away from her. His chest and most of his legs were still in contact with her body, and he still had his arm at her waist. Dipper felt a slight womanly curve at Mabel's waist. It seemed that Mabel was also undergoing puberty. _Of course she is. _Dipper thought to himself. _She is a whole centimeter taller than me now._

Dipper would admit to no one, but being so close to Mabel filled him with contentment and a certain degree of excitement. _This is nice. I've never felt so happy before._

"I could lay here forever," Dipper whispered into Mabel's hair.

It was late at night and the storm had become more distant, so Mabel had started to drift off back to sleep.

"Wha…Dipper?" Mabel mummered.

"Never mind. Go to sleep, Mabel," Dipper whispered back.

Unbeknownst to Dipper, it was his closeness that allowed Mabel to return to sleep so quickly

_I've never felt more safe than when I am in his arms. Dipper may not be the strongest man in Gravity Falls, but here in his arms I am at peace. I can't really blame him for reacting to me the way he did. After all I am IRRESITABLE. No man can stand against my feminine wiles. I may have had bad luck with the boys thus far this summer, but I've found the perfect boy in Dipper. Nothing can keep me from my epic summer romance now! And who knows: maybe when I go back to Piedmont, Dipper and I can become romantic pen pals or better yet, skype pals!_

As Mabel thought these things, she drifted off back to sleep, but Dipper was much too excited to sleep. He reveled in the warmth and comfort Mabel provided for him. He lay beside her, perfectly content. He closed his eyes to sleep, but sleep eluded him. His mind kept wandering back to how wonderful Mabel was. Everything about her was just so perfect: her laugh, her spirit, her shining hair, her style of clothing, the way she walked. She was just amazing.

It was at that moment that Dipper realized something: _I am lying awake at night thinking about a girl, a girl that is currently in my arms. I think I may be in love with the girl in my arms. That girl is my sister, Mabel. I am in love with my sister._

"Uh, oh."

_No one can ever know about this. If Mabel ever found out the truth she'll never forgive me once she gets her memories back. She would hate me for being such a perverted freak._

Tears stung Dipper's eyes at this thought. Mabel shifted in her sleep and murmured, "Calm down,"

_I must have tensed up, and Mabel sensed it. Mabel always did know what to say. Okay, Dipper, calm down._

Dipper did what always calmed him down in the past: think about happy memories. They all involved Mabel.

* * *

><p>An hour passed at still Dipper meditated on his memories of Mabel, which kept him calm and happy. This emotionally allowed him to relax and enjoy the warmth and comfort that being near Mabel offered. Finally, he was just beginning feel sleep claim him. At least that was the case until the floor started glowing.<p>

"What the…?" Dipper turned away from Mabel and got up on his elbows. Mabel groaned from the loss of contact. At first Dipper thought the light was from the now distant storm, but the storm had passed a while ago, and the light was definitely coming from below; not the sky.

Dipper got up and in a heartbeat decided to find the source of the light. He turned to Mabel who was now sleeping fitfully since he left the bed, and shook her gently.

"Mabel, wake up," Dipper whispered softly.

"Ugh," Mabel groaned, "Dipper….you gotta stop waking me up like this." She reached up and poked him weakly in the nose. "Boop. What is it, Oh wrecker of dreams?"

"The floor is glowing," Dipper replied.

Mabel came fully awake at that, and checked to verify, "Indeed it is, dream-wrecker." She got up to stand beside him, "What do you think is causing it, Dipper?"

"I don't know, but it seems to be coming from downstairs. Want to join me in a quest to find out, Lady Mabel?"

"Why, Lord Dipper, I thought you'd never ask. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Still in their pajamas, they crept quietly down the stairs, and noticed that it was significantly warmer with ever step they took.<p>

"Stan really should have given us a space heater or extra blankets," Dipper commented.

"Aww, but then we would have missed out on quality cuddling time, Dipper. Cuddling that was better than snuggling with my favorite stuffed animal," Mabel replied.

"Anything is better than snuggling with Bear-o," Dipper countered.

"You know about Bear-o? When was this?" Mabel asked.

"….you brought him along on a monster hunt once," Dipper answered, glossing over the fact that he was there when Mabel received Bear-o on their 4th birthday, "Anyway we should be focused on the glow emanating from beneath the floor boards. Do you think it would wake Stan up?"

"I don't know. Stan is a heavy sleeper. I wouldn't be surprised at all if this has been happening for years and he slept through it ever time," Mabel replied.

"Let's search the ground floor together. The light is stronger down here. Its source must be close," Dipper said.

* * *

><p>Dipper and Mabel looked all around and found themselves in the gift shop. The light from beneath the floor boards was definitely stronger there.<p>

"Do you think Stan accidentally put a real magical item in the gift shop?" Dipper asked as he looked around.

"Hey, look! The vending machine must be magic!" Mable cried out.

Dipper looked over to the broken vending machine. The glow from behind it was definitely stronger than anywhere else.

"Good eye, Mabel, but I don't think the vending machine is what's glowing," Dipper got closer and looked at the spot where the vending machine met the wall, "The glow is coming from behind it!"

Dipper tried to push it a side, but it wouldn't budge, "It seems to be locked. Do you think Stan had Soos bolt it to the floor?"

Dipper watched as Mabel got down on her hands and knees to check, "No bolts here, Dipper. In fact there are wheels on the bottom."

Dipper's eyes were drawn to the curve of Mabel's rear. Her sleeping shirt had ridden up, and in the soft glow Dipper couldn't help but notice how soft Mabel's thighs looked. Dipper winced, _Seriously, man, what is __**wrong **__with you. You are checking out your sister! You need serious help. _And yet, Dipper could not look away.

Mabel looked up from the wheels, and caught Dipper looking at her, "Like something you see, Dip?" She said with a smug grin, a light blush on her cheeks. Dipper flushed so red that even Mabel could see it in the dim lighting.

"I-I'm sorry, Mabel," Dipper began to sweat.

"Don't worry about it. It's only natural, but let's stay focused: how do we move the vendanator?"

"There must be a locking mechanism built into the machine. All we have to do is figure out how to unlock it," Dipper enter lecture mode, "One thing's for certain: Stan must have known about this. In fact I'll go one step further. Stan himself placed the vending machine in order to cover something up."

"Dipper, you are a crazy genius. My Smile Dip hallucination makes so much sense now!" Mabel rejoined.

"Say what now?"

"When I went with Wendy and the others to the haunted convenience store, I got high on Smile Dip. One of my hallucinations told me not to trust Stan!"

"I guess your subconscious mind is a genius too. Now back on point: moving the vending machine."

"It's cool, Dipper, I got this," Mabel ran upstairs and returned a few minutes later to proudly present a hair clip, "Tadaah!"

"And what are you planning to do with that?" Dipper asked uncertainly.

"Stan showed me how to break into vending machines (and ATMs, she said under her breath) with one of these," Mabel said as she removed the cover to the vending buttons.

"Is that even possible? I don't want to be a negative Nancy, but I'm pretty sure that-," Dipper was cut off as the vending machine popped away from the wall.

"Never doubt the Mabel, Dipper," Mabel looked over her shoulder with half lidded eyes, a satisfied and confident smile on her face.

"I take it back: clearly your conscious mind is also genius as well," Dipper smiled softly at Mabel.

Mabel practically glowed from both the compliment and the ambient lighting, "Thanks, Dipper."

"Let's go crack another mystery, Mabel!" Dipper led the way down the secret staircase.

* * *

><p>At the bottom of the staircase was a huge room. On its far side was a giant, upside down triangle with a glowing portal at its center. This object drew Dipper and Mabel's attention first.<p>

"Hey, look at that, Dipper. What do you think it is?" Mabel whispered a note of excitement in her voice.

"I haven't the slightest idea," Dipper noticed a figure near the base of the triangle, "But look, there's Stan. He seems to be observing the glowing triangle."

"Aww, why does he have to do everything in his underwear? I mean I'm kinda use to it now, but still he could wear pants more often," Mabel groaned quietly to herself.

Dipper began taking note of the rest of the room. He noticed a control panel to the left not far from the entrance. They could definitely make it to the panel without Stan noticing them.

"Mabel, follow me," Dipper whispered to her.

"Alright."

Dipper crept quickly and quietly to the control panel with Mabel close behind. Dipper glanced up to look over the control panel and see where Stan was now, but what he saw on top of the panel made his blood freeze. There resting ever so innocently on top of the control panel were Journals 1, 2, and a photocopy of 3.

_My god, Stan had them all this time. He knew I needed them for Mabel and he had them all this time. I told him directly why I needed them, and still he was silent and kept them for himself. That unbelievable bastard!_ Anger burned hot in Dipper's heart. _How could he withhold this from me? How DARE he abandon his grandniece when she needed him? How can anyone be so selfish?_

Mabel was unaware of what Dipper had noticed. She had looked around the side to see what Stan was doing, so she hadn't seen the journals. However, she did notice when Dipper stood to his full height with a look of rage on his face.

"Dipper? What's wrong?"

Dipper pointed to the journals and then marched around her out into the open.

"**Stan! How dare you!**" Dipper did his damnedest to roar.

"What the hell!" Gruncle Stan turned to see who had infiltrated his lab and saw Dipper as well as Mabel as she emerged from behind the controls, "Dipper! Mabel! What are you doing down here?"

"How could you keep the journals from me?! Don't you know _just _how important it is that we get Mabel's memories back?" Dipper may have calmed a little, but he was still shouting.

"Don't you lecture me on importance, Dipper," Stan became a little cross. His tone harsh, "I have my priorities perfectly in line."

Dipper was not cowed by Stan's tone, "Nothing can be more important than getting Mabel's memories back. I don't care what delusions you have: Mabel is always first on the priority list," Dipper continued shouting though his voice was strained.

Upon hearing this, years of repressed anger exploded out of Stan's heart, "**You know nothing of which you speak, boy! **You think that Mabel losing her memories of you is the worst thing that can possibly happen. Well, it isn't! Use that big brain of yours, and think for a change! Mabel may not remember you, but you still get to see her every day! She is still happy and free. She isn't trapped in a loveless marriage, completely addicted to Prozac from the emotional scars that that hippie son of a **bitch **inflicted upon her! So yes, Dipper, my priorities are still in line."

Somewhere during this speech Stan had started crying though it appeared that he was too angry to notice. Dipper was struck speechless by the ferocity of Stan's response, but Mabel sensed that her Gruncle still needed to let more out. He had been bottling this up for decades.

"What was her name, Gruncle?" Mabel spoke softly into the silence that followed the shouting.

"You already know it," Stan's voice was broken, "Carla…"

"What happened to her?" Mabel coaxed him to continue.

"She…she…left me for that fucking hippie. At the time I thought that she had simply picked the better, more talented man. I was so stupidly naïve….It wasn't until years later that I found out that he had lied to her and manipulated her into leaving me to travel the west coast with him. And once he had her, he abused her. Verbally at first, then physically. She found the strength to leave him eventually, but the damage had been done. She never fully recovered emotionally, nor did she recover her self-esteem. She was easy pickings for any loser that came along. By the next time I saw her again, she was a broken shell of a woman. Married to some southern bastard who never truly loved her and…she was expecting a baby. When I looked into her dead, joyless eyes," Stan choked up a bit for a moment, "I knew that I had to save her. I would do anything to save her. I had found the 1st journal a week before, and had a good laugh. But when I saw Carla again, I knew that the only real way to truly save her would be to bend reality and time to my will, and the journals were the key."

Mabel patted Stan's back, "Doncha feel better now, Gruncle Stan?"

Stan looked down at Mabel for a moment before looking back at Dipper who looked lost now that his righteous fury had evaporated.

Stan walked over to Dipper, and took a knee before placing a hand on Dipper's shoulder and looking him in the eye, "I'm not going to ask you to forgive me, Dipper, but I will ask you to try to understand. For Carla, I'll do anything. If it would help her, I would bloat out the sun. For her, I would rewrite history, and destroy worlds. For her, I would kill…..kill anyone who would dare harm her. Do you understand, Dipper?"

Dipper looked over Stan's shoulder at Mabel, "Yes, Stan…..I understand."

* * *

><p>Author's note: Well there it is chapter 4: My wife said that I made Stan so cool, and I tend to agree. Stan is an awesome character, and I'm really liking how his scenes come out.<p>

As always, reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.


	5. Chapter 5: An Understanding

So yeah this has been said on probably a billion times already, but here it is again: This chapter took longer than I intended. I blame my beautiful wife who is always planning activities and trips. If it weren't for her, I would probably be a NEET. Sure updates would be more often, but the content would suck (Nothing to inspire me).

Still don't own Gravity Falls

With Blind Eyes

Chapter 5: An Understanding

The air was tense around the breakfast table. Gruncle Stan and Dipper were steadfastly ignoring each other's existence. Dipper may have understood why Stan did what he did, but that didn't completely assuage his anger at Stan for hiding the journals. Dipper moved his eggs around with his fork, glaring at them. Some of his emotional state could be attributed to his lack of sleep. Between the storm, the excitement of holding Mabel, finding out Gruncle Stan's secret and the ensuing fight, Dipper probably only got 3 hours of sleep.

Gruncle Stan had a stern, unreadable face as he drank his coffee. Unlike Dipper, Stan was plenty use to going without sleep, so his demeanor was definitely due to the fact that he'd been found out.

The tension continued to mount, Mabel could feel it. She looked between the two, bouncing her eyes back and forth between them. She knew it was up to her to get things back to normal….ish.

_Alright, it's time to work that Mabel charm, and get my boys talking again._

"Soooo, you guys, my chums, buddies….,"_ This is so awkward, _Mabel thought to herself, "I know you had a crazy night, and all, but I think we should at least start talking about it. You know, before the tourists arrive…."

"Yes, Stan, let's talk about how you withheld something that may be vital to restoring Mabel's memories," Dipper's tone had a slight edge to it.

"I don't have to justify myself to you a second time," Stan retorted.

"Dipper!" Mabel sharply intervened, "Can't you see that Stan did it for true love! And Gruncle Stan, you gotta understand where Dipper is coming from emotionally."

Gruncle Stan arched an eyebrow, "How did we go from 'true love' (Stan did air quotes with his fingers), to Dipper's emotional state?"

Both Mabel and Dipper flushed red at the connection Stan insinuated, Mabel cleared her throat, "You're really gonna make me say it? Dipper…uh….cares about my wellbeing."

"Yeah, I only want what's best for her!" Dipper's voice cracked at the end of that sentence.

Stan looked hard between them for a few brief seconds before deciding to let it go, "Let's not focus on the past. You now know that I have the journals. I may not like it, but that's life. I know you want the journals, but I need them too. So, it looks like we are gonna have to," Stan grimaced, "…share."

Mabel laughed, "See, Gruncle Stan, that wasn't so bad."

"Speak for yourself, kid. I feel terrible," Stan rubbed his chest, like saying the word gave him heart burn.

Once the idea of sharing was on the table, Dipper saw a perfect way to go about it, "You only work on the portal at night, correct, Stan?"

"Yeah, too many people are around during the day. They would notice something going on," Stan spoke plainly.

"Alright, here's the deal, Stan. I'll have the journals during the day, and you can have them at night," Dipper offered.

"Okay, kid, but I get the journals the instant I think the last of the suckers have cleared out for the night," Stan agreed.

"And I get the journals at breakfast. Deal?"

"Deal, but I reserve the right to read them anytime inspiration strikes, and you can't slack off helping in the shop just because it's during your journal time," Stan qualified. _I won't let the young love gravy train leave the station until it stops being profitable._

"That's not fair!" Dipper whined.

"Life's not fair, Dipper. Deal with it," Stan countered.

"Fine," Dipper sighed.

"See, boys, talking solved all your problems," Mabel smiled.

"Actually, Mabel," Stan spoke with an air of wisdom, "Talking only put a band aide on the issue. Only time can truly heal it."

* * *

><p>Dipper was frustrated that he had to work while the journals just sat up in his room, and the worst part was that Stan really didn't <em>need <em>him. Wendy was working the register, Mabel was proudly modeling her new sweater (and looking adorable in it), which was bright green with a white question mark on it, and Soos was doing all the real work. There was literally nothing Dipper needed to do, but for some weird reason Gruncle Stan wanted him to wear a question mark t-shirt with matching colors and hang out with Mabel in the gift shop all day.

_Only God knows where Stan got this t-shirt from. _Dipper thought to himself. _All the other shirts Stan has were blue with black question marks._

"Why do I have to spend the whole day in the gift shop?" Dipper complained, "I should be going over the journals looking for a way to help Mabel."

"Take it from someone who learned from experience: don't neglect the present trying to reclaim the past, kid," Stan advised, "Don't stop making new memories with Mabel, just because she doesn't remember past ones." _And don't stop being super adorable together, while middle-aged, soccer moms are throwing away every cent they have. At this rate, I may have to start accepting personal checks and wedding rings as payment._

Stan headed out the door to start working another tour group. Dipper saw Stan's point and looked over to Mabel: had he been neglecting her in his drive to find a cure? _No, Stan's wrong. I've been spending just as much time with her as before. _**But was that enough time?** _Mabel has told me that I leave her out of things without meaning to, before. And now that I have all the journals, I know that I'll be tempted to focus on them and ignore everything else. Mabel included. So the only way to resist that temptation is to actively go against it. Alright, Dipper, the journals don't exist and just look at the clock: its Mabel time._

Dipper walked over to Mabel who was in the midst of telling Wendy how to knit sweaters. Step 1 in knitting sweaters was to look inside your soul and find the color of the day. Wendy looked extremely bored, but was trying to be at least a little engaged in the conversation.

Dipper greeted Mabel and Wendy with a simple "Hello, ladies."

"Dipper, thank god! Talk about something else," Wendy was relieved, but then she noticed Dipper's choice in clothing. An amused smile spread across her face, "Why are you twinning it up with Mabel?" There was a laugh in her tone.

"Ask Stan," Dipper groaned.

"Ohmygosh, Dipper! We're like a couple that has been together so long that they no longer realize how disgustingly sweet they are being while in public!" Mabel enthused.

"How did you say that all in one breath?" Wendy asked perplexed.

Dipper laughed nervously, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple "Yeah, Mabel, let's focus on that. How _did_ you say in one breath? I'm not deflecting attention away from what you said at all. Why would I do that? It's not like I'm nervous about our relationship. Who said I was nervous? I'm not nervous about anything. Especially not about our relationship, Mabel. Why would I be nervous about that? Don't be silly, it's not like I secretly want to be a couple. That would be absurd!" Dipper said all this as one sentence with only a few breaths in between. When he stopped, he finally took notice of Wendy and Mabel's reactions. Wendy had a look of mild horror on her face as she slowly made since of Dipper's verbal vomit and Mabel who was a pro at understanding said vomit looked like she was just told Gravity Falls had a summer Christmas in addition to Summerween. Dipper grabbed a fist full of complimentary peppermints (which were free with a purchase of fifty dollars or more) that Stan had next to the register and stuffed them in his mouth wrappers and all. It took 5 seconds for him to realize what he did, and spit them out into a garbage can.

"Aww, Dipper that is the sweetest thing ever said in the history of awkward confessions, and the answer is yes," Mabel gave Dipper a peck on the cheek before bouncing over to the garbage can and grabbing one of Dipper's slimy peppermints, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I simply cannot pass up this scrapbooko'tunity. I'll be right back, _boyfriend_!" With that, Mabel bounded up the stairs to the attic.

A little dazed, Dipper turned to Wendy, "What just happened?"

Wendy's look of horror was now fixed upon her face so well that it may be there for the rest of her life, "Dude…I think you're dating your sister."

"Oh," Dipper whispered before fainting.

"I tried to warn you," Wendy said to Dipper's passed out body.

* * *

><p>Mabel returned to the gift shop to find Dipper still passed out on the floor, "What happened to Dipper?"<p>

Wendy shrugged, "I guess he was so overwhelmed by happiness, that he needed a nap. So have you updated your relationship status on Facetime yet?"

Mabel grumbled, "No, mom won't let me have one. She says kids post things that they really shouldn't, and she doesn't want me to be embarrassed when I'm older."

"She got that right," Wendy murmured under her breath.

"What was that?"

"I mean shouldn't we wake up Dipper now? Stan should be finishing the tour soon," Wendy covered.

"Yeppers," Mabel got down on her knees and gently shook Dipper awake, "Nap time is over, Dipperoon. Besides floors aren't comfortable."

Dipper groaned as he came awake and looked up to see Mabel hovering over him. She was leaning in a way that had her hair cascading down over one shoulder so that the late morning sun caused it to shine beautifully. Dipper didn't even realize what he was doing until his hand was already running through her soft tresses. Mabel seemed to be enjoying his touch with happiness shining in her soft brown eyes that were nearly identical to his own, when Wendy cleared her throat.

"You guys know how people feel about PDA," _Especially, incestuous PDA,_ Wendy thought to herself, "So knock it off."

"Don't be a sourpuss, Wendy," Mabel countered, "No one cares if bfs touch their girl's hair in public. Now if we started aggressively making out right here, right now, then you would have something to complain about."

Dipper reddened noticeably, "Making out! Here! Now!" That incomprehensible jumble of words was Dipper's way of processing the images Mabel's words had conjured in his mind.

"Yes, Dipper, if we were to do that _hypothetically speaking_, then Wendy would be justified in her complaint."

"Hypothetically, yes, okay," Dipper slowing retreated from completely hyperventilating.

"Jeez, champ, try not to get too excited by the idea," Wendy said in a teasing way, but her face had a look of mild disgust. A few short weeks ago, Dipper would have been devastated by Wendy's look of judgment, but now he was only a little hurt by it. _She's right you know._

_Shut up, Conscience, no one asked you._

"I'll be the judge of what the acceptable level of excitement in my boy toy is, thank you very much," Mabel said as she grabbed Dipper's hand. Wendy just shook her head in despair, but Dipper didn't mind at all. In fact they were still holding hands 30 minutes later when Gruncle Stan brought the first tour group through. Gruncle Stan was going to be concerned, but he noticed that the green and white question mark shirts that didn't sell 10 years ago when he ordered them, were now selling like hot cakes (even though he had quadrupled the price to $60 a shirt).

_Something's happening that a responsible parent would be worried about, but I'm an uncle and responsibility can suck it. Young love gravy train is going full steam ahead! _

After the first few tour groups went through, Gruncle Stan graciously released Dipper and Mabel from 'working' in the gift shop (running out of merch would make for dissatisfied tourists. Stan made a note to triple his next order of useless junk).

* * *

><p>Dipper had retreated to his bed with Journal #1 and a black light, and began reading aloud as was his habit to do.<p>

_When I first came to Gravity Falls I expected a sleepy town tucked into the wilds of Oregon, and that all local legends would prove to remain just that: legends. However, I have only been here a week and already my eyes have beheld such strange and wondrous things that I am convenience of only one certainty: Gravity Falls is unique in all the world: perhaps even in all the universe. Gravity Falls is home to many magical beings, artifacts, and books. Yet there are other nonmagical creatures—intelligent and beasts—that reside here and only here to the point that the wider world dismisses their existence entirely. _

_I have only barely scratched the surface, but I can begin to conjecture on basic principles: Gravity Falls is home to a force so strong that it pulls to it all manner of mysteries from all over the world or an alternative hypothesis these strange beings come from other worlds and Gravity Falls is the point at which these things cross over. That is to say that Gravity Falls is the place in this universe where the barrier between it and all other universes is weakest, and so periodically things like magic or mystic energy seep through and all manner of things: living and nonliving, magic and nonmagic, powerful and weak, sometimes stumble across worlds and into ours. _

_I feel compelled to continue my investigations even though the danger is great. As luck would have it one of the first things I discovered in the course of my studies of Gravity Falls was a spell book which detailed spells that took advantage of the ambient magic that saturates the town and forests of Gravity Falls. It has proven valuable in defending myself from many a fell beast. I have found myself unable to perform every spell listed, but I believe that anything is possible should one have a way to gather enough magic to oneself and a means of focusing it._

_Anything is possible, hmm. That** is** promising…_

Dipper was about to turn the page when a thought occurred to him. He lifted the black light and just as he expected a note in invisible ink was revealed. _The spell book is at location 13._

"Location 13. Why does that sound familiar?" Dipper wondered aloud to himself.

"It's probably because it's in your number 3 journal!" Mabel exclaimed far too loudly into the stillness of the room.

"Gah! Mabel! When did you get here?" Dipper startled out of his meditation.

"I've been here the whole time: you were just too absorbed in your nerd fest to notice. Ignoring your gf is terrible, bad boyfriend!" Mabel jokingly scolded him.

"Sorry, Mabel, I was in my zone," Dipper said as he opened up his number 3 journal and turned to one of several maps, "Why do think the location is in this one?"

"You've only read it a thousand times since I re-met you, if you think its familiar then you must have read it there," Mabel sighed, "You're a little obsessed about it."

"I'm only obsessed with finding your memories, Mabel!"

"Hey, now. Don't get defensive. I'm only trying tell you to take time to smell the roses, and spend time with me," Mabel countered.

"I spent all day with you," Dipper retorted.

"Yeah, but I could tell that a lot of that time you were thinking of the journals instead of me," Mabel's eyes had begun to water.

Seeing the hurt in her eyes, Dipper deflated. He set aside the number 3 journal and walk over to look Mabel in the eye, "Look, Mabel, you're right, and I'm sorry. I think I have an idea on how to make it up to you."

"You do?"

"How about we make finding this spell book our first date: we'll be the mystery couple," _I can't believe I just said that. Is it just me or am I encouraging this madness? How do I make this stop? Do I even __**want **__it to stop?_

Mabel's forlorn look morphed back to happiness, "I feel a million times better! Mystery couple: _activate_!"

Apparently, mystery couples activate their powers by the girl offering her hand in a ladylike fashion and the boy bowing to kiss it. Dipper didn't have to ask what Mabel was doing when she offered him her hand with a shy (for Mabel at least) smile on her face; he just knew what she was thinking. So without saying a word Dipper took her hand in his and bent down and pressed a light kiss to her knuckles.

They were both a little pink when Dipper righted himself and they made eye contact again. Dipper was determined to not let things get awkward, so he turned to his bed with journal 3 on it, saying in a lofty manner, "The first order of business, Lady Mabel, is to snuggle up in bed and ascertain the whereabouts of the mysterious Location 13 before your dear Gruncle Stan confiscates the journals back to his dungeon. Is thou ready, my lady?"

Mabel giggled, "Why, Lord Dippington, that is a bold request. What would the other ladies think of my honor? But alas I cannot resist your dorky charms." She said this as she slid easily into the bed.

Dipper slid into bed next to her, snuggling into her side and they began to turn through the pages of journal 3, checking each page with the black light for hidden messages concerning Location 13. As they continued looking, Mabel began to entertain herself by making up stories on how the author discovered the various things they were skimming over.

"The gnomes probably kidnapped a woman that the author was crushing on: I'm willing to bet they have been looking for a gnome queen for decades. (Honestly, who would marry a thousand gnomes?) So the author had to bust in all hero like and rescue her," Mabel explained as Dipper turned the page again.

Dipper laughed somewhat nervously at this one. _Some ghost of her memories must be surfacing, because that was practically what happened with us. Minus the crush part._

**_Are you so sure that the crushing was absent from your experience? _**Dipper's conscience returned.

_I think I would have noticed if I've been crushing on Mabel all this time, and shut up conscience!_

**_Just like you noticed how jealous you were of her boyfriends?_**

_….I thought you were against the whole feelings-for-Mabel thing. Remember earlier you were hammering me over my wanting to make out—I'm gonna stop there._

**_I'm you, or your conscience at least. I only say what you already suspect to be true in your heart._**

_Ignoring you now._

Dipper had been partially tuning out Mabel's chatter as he thought these things. But he returned in time to hear her reminisce somewhat fearfully about the bunker under the fake tree.

"—and that's why I never want to see that shape shifter again!" Mabel snuggled deeper into Dipper's side.

"I agree with you there, Mabel. Shape shifter, bad," Dipper agreed and clicked on his black light. Dipper stiffened as he read the secret messages on that page.

"I'm sorry, Mabel. Our first date is gonna suck," Dipper spoke.

"Why'd you say that? I'm enjoying it so far," Mabel hadn't really been following along with Dipper's reading. She was more interested in remembering her past experiences and enjoying the experience of feeling Dipper's thin frame beside her own for a second time. _He may be scrawny, but he makes up for it by being so soft and warm._

Dipper's tone was grim, "Because location 13 is the bunker."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

And there you have it. Dipper and Mabel are now having an Epic Summer Romance much to Wendy's dismay. What dangers lurk ahead of our heroes on their first date? Tune in next time!


	6. Chapter 6: First Date into the Dark

Well, here it is, chapter 6. Just a word of warning: I earned that T rating with this one. I really, really earned it.

I had a great time writing it and I hope you'll have a great time reading it. Also, this is embarrassing, but I've finally realized that I've been 'mispelling' Grunkle Stan this whole time. (It's not that big of a deal, but still; I should have noticed earlier.)

I do not own Gravity Falls and make no money off of writing this.

With Blind Eyes

Chapter 6

First Date: Into the Dark

Dipper and Mabel stood before the artificial tree with some trepidation due to the fact that they already knew the dangers lurking within. It was early the next morning of the third day since Mabel lost her memories. (Dipper and Mabel agreed that even though it would make little difference while down in the bunker, they didn't want to exit the dark bunker to find that the sun had set hours earlier, so they decided to wait till morning). Dipper looked over at Mabel nervously. He had floated the idea of bringing Soos along, but Mabel had vetoed it.

"This is my first first date, and it isn't gonna have a chaperone. Romance can't happen with someone constantly watching!" Mabel adamantly stated.

"Romance can't happen with a fearsome monster lurking about either. A fearsome monster which may or may _not_ still be frozen in a cryogenic tube," Dipper tried to counter.

"Please, Dip, romance can still totally happen while you're scared. Fear just gives a woman an excuse to cling to her man. Why do you think haunted houses and horror movies are such popular date destinations?" Mabel returned with a counter point.

"Those are pretend. This is real!" Dipper thought he had won with that.

"And what if I want to make out with you in some dark tunnel, but I can't because Soos is there telling some hilarious fart joke?" Silly Dipper: girls always win. Girls have won every argument that has ever happened in the history of all humanity. Why did Dipper think this one would be any different?

"…fine. No Soos."

So there they stood just after breakfast sans Soos. Grunkle Stan had generously given them the day off immediately upon them asking for it (merchandise stocks were dangerously low and the next shipment wouldn't arrive for 2 more days). When Stan asked what they were doing with their day off, Dipper had said that they were going to take a walk in the woods and check to see if mystery number 54: the mailbox had returned. Stan had detected a lie in that statement, but before he could question further Mabel had distracted him by 'vomiting' silly string all over him.

Dipper turned to Mabel and pulled a checklist out from under his hat, "Before proceeding, we should go over our supplies and make certain we have everything."

Mabel groaned, "Fine."

"One grappling hook," Dipper read from his list.

"Check," Mabel rejoined.

"One gnome-defeating shovel, check," Dipper continued, "one shrink-grow crystal flashlight,"

"Check," Mabel answered.

This went on for quite some time. Dipper's checklist was crazy detailed.

"One checklist, check," Dipper never left anything out.

"Argggh, did you seriously put the checklist on the checklist!?" Mabel was lying in the grass by this point, but hearing Dipper's ridiculousness caused her to sit up in outrage.

"I have to know that we have everything!"

"That's it! We're done with the checklist!" Mabel was a little angry now.

"But—"

"No more checklist!" Mabel cut Dipper off.

"Fine. How are we gonna open the bunker? Wendy isn't here to—" Dipper was again cut off, but this time it was by Mabel's grappling hook discharging and attaching to the leaver branch by one of its hooks. With a mighty yank the branch bent down and the hook was dislodged.

The bunker opened.

Dipper grinned and gave Mabel a one armed hug, "Good going, Mabel."

Mabel returned the squeeze with one of her own, "You know that I'm an alpha. I get things done."

And with that Mabel and Dipper began their descent into the dark.

* * *

><p>"Alright. First order of business is to check the cryogenic tubes and make certain they are operational," Dipper said as they entered the control center of the bunker.<p>

"That should be easy enough. Let's just check the security cameras," Mabel replied.

Hands joined, Mabel and Dipper walked over to the wall of security monitors.

"And there he is, old ugly," Dipper commented.

"Actually, he would look cute if he weren't screaming in horror," Mabel replied, "I don't remember him turning into you though. Why would he do that?"

"He was mocking me: saying that the secrets of this town would be the death of me, and that I would look like that in the very end."

"And you didn't flee Gravity Falls immediately? Dipper, you are a brave one," Mabel half teased and half complimented.

"Yes…well…" Dipper wasn't very use to flirting banter. He knew sibling banter like the back of his hand, but girlfriend banter: how was one supposed to do that? _You've been quiet too long, Dipper._ "I didn't really have that much of a choice. I need to stay in Gravity Falls for the whole summer. And besides, it's not all bad. I get to hang out with awesome people every day: Soos and Wendy and you. That's definitely worth a little danger." _Was that too sincere? Perhaps I should have kept it light. You know: crack a joke back at her. Arrgh, it's too late now._

Dipper cleared his throat, "It looks like the cryo tubes are still working, so that's one less thing to worry about. Now I guess we can start looking for that spell book."

"Hmm…" Mabel hummed, "If I were a crazy genius, where would I hide a spell book of arcane power?...Dipper! I know where it is!"

"What? Where?" Dipper was somewhat surprise by Mabel's proclamation.

"In his sock drawer!" Mabel proudly concluded.

"Somehow, I highly doubt that's the case, Mabel…" Dipper was sceptic.

"Alright, doubting Dipper, when you were hiding Journal 3 from Stan—and I know you were. Otherwise Stan would have ganked it ages ago—where was it?" Mabel was confident.

"…..in my sock drawer," Dipper conceded, "but I doubt a crazy genius would hide it in the same place a 12 year old would."

"Great minds, Dipper, great minds," Mabel tapped her head on the first phrase before tapping Dipper's on the second, "Now all we need to do is find the living/sleeping quarters and _BAM_ black magic from the depths of hell is ours!"

"If there are demonic spells in this book, we'll be burning it; not using it!" Dipper wanted to be clear on that point.

"Dipper, darling, these are the jokes. Laugh a little." Mabel gave Dipper a hard pat on the back. Dipper winced from how strong she was.

"Do any of the video streams show a room that looks like a living quarters?" Dipper was always business as he turned back to the monitor wall.

"Nope, I guess even geniuses like their private times too!" Mabel giggled a bit.

"I guess we have no choice then. The only way forward is through the labs. His quarters must be located somewhere through them," Dipper looked Mabel in the eye his face serious and shovel clutched firmly in his hand, "Be on your guard. We have no idea what else may be lurking within."

Mabel squealed, "You have no idea how cool you were just now!"

"Wha…" Dipper rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed, a small flush on his neck "You really think so?"

"And you're back to adorable again," Mabel teased.

"Well, let's get going," Dipper recovered, "You'll need this."

"Why would I need a poncho?" Mabel asked.

"For the shower, of course," Dipper replied.

"Ah, now you're making perfect sense," Mabel smiled.

* * *

><p>Dipper and Mabel had shared the poncho, "If sharing an umbrella in the park is romantic, then sharing a poncho in a creepy lab shower must be the most romantic thing ever done. Dipper, you're a romance maestro!" Mabel said this as they stepped out of the decontamination shower and entered the busted up laboratory area.<p>

"Sometimes I can't tell when you're being honest and when you're joking, Mabel," Dipper said dryly.

"Context, Dipper. I'm huddled up next to you with our arms wrapped around each other's waists: totally romantic. Creepy setting, but still romantic," Mabel reassured him.

"Thanks, but we need to step out of the poncho in case we find something dangerous. You know freedom of movement is crucial," Dipper then pulled the poncho off of them.

"That's not gonna stop me from sticking close to you, oh practical one," Mabel kept her arm at his waist.

Mabel was on Dipper's left so that her right arm was on his waist, and though Dipper knew the bunker was a dangerous place, he couldn't bring himself to demand that she remove it. So instead, he returned his left hand to her waist (a waist that was just being to develop a womanly curve), and did a one handed grip on his shovel.

"How are you with left handed grappling hook shots?" Dipper asked half joking.

"I'm a grappling hook genius, Dipper. I can shoot it with my feet if I have to," Mabel was confident.

Dipper turned to look at the ruined lab, "At first I thought all the tunnels were made by creatures, but when I was here the first time, it seemed they were made intentionally. I don't know if they were made by the author or the shape shifter, but it is possible that one of them may lead to the living quarters. I guess we'll start furthest left and work our way clockwise."

"Lead on, fellow adventurer." Mabel said as she clicked on a regular flashlight.

* * *

><p>The first few tunnels lead to only ruins and smashed equipment that even Soos with an unlimited supply of duct tape would be unable to repair.<p>

None of it looked even remotely lived in, and Dipper was beginning to get frustrated and jumpy fearing that at any moment a monster would corner them, but every time he felt like he would snap Mabel would give his side a squeeze and he could feel himself relax.

They were searching the fourth tunnel. It started on the far side of the ruined lab. At first this tunnel seemed to be exactly like the earlier ones: a whole lot of nothing. But then the tunnel bent to the left and upon turning, Mabel's flashlight illuminated the angry red eye of a giant centipede.

Dipper and Mabel froze for a split second as the creature rose from is resting position and snarled at the intruders. Mabel and Dipper released their holds on each other. Mabel's flashlight was shaking in her hand.

"Mabel, run!" Dipper shouted as he charged the beast, shovel raised high.

Dipper swung the shovel as hard as he could directly into the creature's maul. Dipper may not be very strong, but adrenaline, fear, and the knowledge that Mabel was just a few paces behind him added strength to the blow he landed. The shovel knocked a pointed tooth free from its mouth. The beast retreated a few yards before anger overcame fear and it turned back to see its foe. It reared back enraged at the impudence of the small boy. Blood, black as pitch, dripped from the wound. The monster lunged forward with a mighty roar, and Dipper closed his eyes expecting the end to come swift and painful. Mabel cried out anger though Dipper couldn't hear her over the sound of the centipede. But the end didn't come. Instead Dipper heard the sound of the beast hitting the ground a foot short of him. Dipper opened his eyes and saw a stalactite protruding from the downed monster's head.

Dipper looked up and saw Mabel's grappling hook lodged in at the base of a newly broken stalactite. With a zip the hook dislodged and returned to Mabel. Dipper's eyes followed the hook back to find an enraged Mabel Pines.

_Oh, crap, she's even scarier than the centipede._ Dipper's conscience piped in.

"Dipper…" Mabel was panting in anger with her brows drawn together as she approached him with measured steps.

_Death walks gracefully towards you. Oh, well, at least death personified is nice to look at._

"Dipper, you crap-nugget, idiot!" Mabel slapped him hard across the face, "That was for telling me to run like a _coward_ while you went off to get yourself killed!"

Dipper rubbed his cheek the sting would take a while to fade. Dipper looked back at Mabel. She still looked furious, and for a moment Dipper thought she would slap him again, but then Mabel's hands darted forward, grabbing the lapels of his vest and yanked him in towards her. It took a full second for Dipper to realize that she was kissing him. Hard. This was no quick peck like the one Mermando got. This was soul-searing or at least as soul-searing as a 12 year old with little kissing practice could get. Their lips stayed together for several seconds, until Dipper (being the complete idiot that he is) tried to end the kiss early. Dipper leaned back and tried to speak, but Mabel followed him and kept her lips on his. It was this happy accident that led the romance-deprived twins to make an earth-shaking discovery (that was made trillions of times before by horny teenagers): softly moving lips against each other makes a kiss feel a million times better.

Mabel gasped lightly as Dipper moved his lips experimentally a second time; this time on purpose. _So this is REAL kissing? Dipper sure is a fast learner. _Mabel thought to herself. _Hey, maybe I should move my lips too._ Mabel did so and earned a small groan in response. _The May-train is a fast learner too, Dipperoon._

Mabel's tentative practicing had ignited something in Dipper's heart. He needed this to continue. He needed Mabel to be closer to him.

_This is happening, and now that it's happening, I realize that I've wanted it to happen for a long time. How long have I been repressing this? Would it have ever happened if Mabel didn't lose her memories? One thing is certain: I need this to keep happening._

Dipper brought his arms up and wrapped them around Mabel's waist and pulled her flush against him. Mable 'eeped' as Dipper took the lead in the kiss she had initiated. Mabel's hands that were once fisted up in Dipper's vest found their way inside his vest and her palms lay flat against his t-shirt. She could feel his slim chest through the thin shirt. Dipper's urgency in continuing the kiss excited Mabel in ways she didn't know she could be.

Dipper began rubbing his hands up and down Mabel's back, lightly massaging her. Mabel felt a weak moan escape her lips. Dipper loved that sound. He decided that he was going to try to get her to make that sound again.

But Mabel was no passive girl. You think she would sit idly by while Dipper did all the work? Puh-leeze. Mabel had girl talk with Candy and Grenda. Mabel had ideas on what to do next, so it was Mabel that darted her tongue out at just the right moment when Dipper was parting his lips just wide enough to start their first French kiss. After a beat, Dipper gently, hesitantly reciprocated. By this point Mabel was fully aware of Dipper's physical response to their closeness, but knowing that he would feel shamed she decided to pretend it wasn't there.

_It's too bad: a flashlight in your pocket joke would have been __**hilarious**__._ Mabel thought and laughed in her head.

For Dipper this kiss blew away all his expectations on what kissing would be like. This was the best moment in his life. Mabel's lips were just so soft, her sounds were too cute, and her body was so warm.

_The only detraction is her braces. Every now and again they bump into my teeth, but they'll be gone in 9 months, so I can be patient. I can wait: in 9 months Mabel had better be ready for the hottest make out session in history! 9 months and Mabel will be brace free, we'll be officially teenagers, and by then she'll definitely have her memories back…..Oh. She'll remember that I'm her brother. I'm Frenching my sister. She's gonna hate me forever._

Dipper broke the kiss more gently than he thought he would, given his most recent thought. And was about to end their relationship right there and then, but as Mabel opened her warm brown eyes and looked into his with such love and happiness (these emotions were also coupled with a dazed look that Dipper couldn't help but find sexy), Dipper knew he couldn't do that. Her cheeks were flushed from excitement and she was gasping a little. Dipper was gasping too.

"And that was for not dying. I don't know what I'd do if you went and died on me, Dipper," Mabel was sincere.

Mabel looked over Dipper's shoulder and started laughing loudly.

"What's so funny?" Dipper asked.

"Our first kiss is over the corpse of a horrifying monstrosity that we just killed: we must be the weirdest couple in the world," Mabel continued giggling.

Dipper couldn't help but join in.

* * *

><p>The search continued with both Dipper and Mabel being more on guard in case the sound of the battle had alerted more of those creatures to their location. And their fears were somewhat justified for something had noticed them in the tunnels and was tracking their movements closely from the shadows. It had witnessed their fight with the giant centipede and also the passionate moment between the two twins. It knew they were related: their blood smelled identically. It also was aware that humans frowned upon such unions. The creature never did understand human morality. Truth be told it didn't understand much about humans at all. It knew of human customs; it had lived long enough to pick up a few things, but the logic behind these customs completely baffled and intrigued the creature. The speed with which the human girl had dispatched the centipede scared and in some way impressed the being. It would keep close watch on them until they either proved themselves to not be a threat or until it saw an opportunity to kill them should they prove themselves dangerous to it. The creature bared its sharp teeth in displeasure; it hated waiting, but centuries of a life of hunting had taught it that patience was necessary at times.<p>

Dipper shivered as they finished searching the last tunnel finding nothing, "Come on, Mabel, it's not here, so let's bolt. I feel like I'm being watched." The creature froze and closed its eyes. _This human has keen perception; it is not every human that could notice my stalking. Very interesting._

"Alright, Dips, I guess you're right, but try to dial back the paranoid. Centipedes are too stupid to not mindlessly attack. It's cool, we're alone down here," Mabel tried to calm Dipper, but even she had noticed a major creepo vibe from the place which had been building for some time now.

Dipper and Mabel made their way to the exit and the creature decided that it would be prudent to let these strange humans to leave. _Let sleeping dragons lay, and besides I owe the boy for sealing up that odious shape-shifter._

* * *

><p>They entered the control room holding hands, and Dipper instantly felt relieved to be in the relatively well lit control room. But then he felt a twinge of frustration.<p>

"We spent hours looking and never found the author's bedroom or the spell book," Dipper sighed in frustration as he returned to the computer banks, "Maybe the author moved it and didn't change the location in Journal 1. I don't know. Maybe I'm just an idiot."

"Don't get down on yourself, Dipper. Mayhaps, you just need a fresh angle, boop," As Mabel finished her sentence she did a handstand. It was at this moment that Dipper turned to look at her, and got an eyeful of her pig-polka dot panties.

"Gah, Mabel, skirts are _not_ handstand clothing!" Dipper instinctively looked away, but felt his eyes being pulled back to her in quick compulsive glances.

"Don't pretend to not like it, Dipper," Mabel still hadn't righted herself, but then she noticed something under the control counsel. She returned to her feet (much to Dipper's relief and disappointment) and walked over to the security counsel.

"Hey, look! A red button!"

Indeed there was a button underneath the control counsel. Upon seeing it Mabel fell back on her instincts: PUSH IT!

"No, Mabel! Don't!" Dipper tried to stop her but it was too late.

"Boop." Mabel pushed it.

With a rumble, ancient gears began to turn.

"Mabel, what did you do?!" Dipper whined a little.

Then the computer monitors and control panel lowered into the ground revealing a wooden door behind it. Mabel opened the door and looked inside.

"I found his bedroom, Dipper," Mabel couldn't help but be a little smug about it.

"Ha, ha, I guess I deserved that."

"Yeah, you did."

* * *

><p>As Mabel and Dipper searched the room, it became apparent quickly that no one had been living there for years. Spider webs were everywhere, there was mildew in the bathtub, and all the clothes were moth eaten.<p>

And just as Mabel said the spell book was in the sock drawer.

Mabel did a little victory dance, and shouted joyfully, "Say it, Dipper!"

Dipper sighed in defeat, "You were right, Mabel."

"And don't you ever forget it! Now I do believe I've earned a second make out session. Really, Dipper, your lips are addictive."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Well there you have it. I hope everyone got what they were hoping for (especially bigmike33321).

Classes are starting back up at university, but I will do my best to continue updating this story.


	7. Chapter 7: Learning Curve

Here it is: Chapter 7. The first two weeks of spring semester hit like a freight train, and I'm still reeling from it. But I needed a break from constant studying, so I wrote this. Just a word of warning, I am establishing an OC here, but this OC serves a purpose, and I give my word that I will not let my OC hijack the story (as so many other authors have erroneously done). Dipper and Mabel will ever be the main characters of this fic, and all others are supporting.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls, not profiting here.

With Blind Eyes

Chapter 7: Learning Curve

The creature was content once Dipper and Mabel left the main laboratory area to resume its own search of the grounds. It had spent many long weeks contending with the shape shifting monster, in its quest to find its birthright. _That thrice damned shape shifter had hindered my quest for far too long. I think he took some perverse pleasure in tormenting me._ If it could have felt grateful when the human boy sealed that wretched shape shifter away just 2 short weeks ago, it would have. _Now, where was I. Ah, yes, I was going to search tunnel 4 for secret passages and compartments…..one more time._ But then it detected a rumble that came from the direction of the main entrance that the twins had exited towards.

"What could that be? Those mortals had left defeated, their search ended. What are they doing now?" the creature spoke, its voice softer than what one would expect from such a dark and dangerous being.

The creature changed form and exited through the ancient vent system. This was the same way it found its way into the laboratory first just a few short months ago when it finally strangled a lead out of a gnome that had seen too much. It didn't get very far before the rumbling stopped, but it continued searching the maze of vent tunnels. The creature was about to give up finding the source of the rumbling after 20 minutes of pointless searching, when its sharp ears picked up the sound of the young, human girl's voice.

"Darn, Dipper, you are getting too good at this. I better not share how awesome you are at mixing make outs and massages, or else every girl in Gravity Falls will be trying to steal you away from me!" Mabel's voice echoed through the vents.

The creature took off in the direction of her voice.

Dipper laughed nervously, "Yeah, Mabel, that's the reason to keep our relationship a secret. I think it's best we do just that. We wouldn't want random girls trying to seduce me."

"Wha-Dip, that is a weird thing to say, but fine. I'll keep it a secret. Mainly because I know if Grunkle Stan finds out about our intense kissing, he would definitely move you into Soos' break room," Mabel said. Dipper sighed in relief, but Mabel continued, "But that means you have to listen to my girl talk."

"Cool, thanks, Mabel….Wait, what?" Dipper replied without processing the last part.

"You gotta listen to my girl talk," Mabel said this as they exited the author's bedroom, and the creature reached the end of the vent to see them.

The creature blink its bat eyes. _Those kids have only been here 3 hours, and yet they have found that secret passage before me! I've been down here for months. Arggh, it's my own fault: I've been too focused on the labs. Oh well, the odds of them finding it are pretty low._

But then the creature noticed the book in Dipper's hand. _By Luna, Lady of the Moon, he has it!_

The creature was just about to burst through the vent grate, and demand its birthright from those interlopers. But then, Mabel started waving around her grappling hook in order to emphasize her point, and fear stayed the creature's hand.

"Yeah, Dipper, Girl Talk. Us girls need to talk about their romantic experiences and since you've sworn me to secrecy, you're the only one to talk to," Mabel smiled only a little maliciously.

"Is it gonna be as bad as your 'Girl's Sleep Over,'" Dipper shivered from the memories as they walked towards the exit.

"I don't think so, but I've never had girl talk with a boyfriend before. Then again I don't think _anyone_ had Girl Talk with their bfs before," Mabel mused as they headed towards the exit.

The creature wanted to follow, but knew it would be pointless. It couldn't stop them from leaving; not while the girl possessed the all-powerful grappling hook, and it couldn't stalk them; not while the sun was out. Day travel was dangerous, and it wasn't prepared for such an undertaking.

For now, the Book of Incantations would remain in the hands of unclean humans.

* * *

><p>Dipper and Mabel stepped into the sunlight. They had entered the bunker in the morning hours, and it was now midafternoon.<p>

Dipper squinted his eyes against the brightness, and lifted the ancient tome to shield his eyes.

"Well, Mabel, we should head back to the Shack. I can't wait to start combing this book for memory spells," Dipper grinned in excitement.

"No, bad boyfriend!" Mabel lightly thwacked Dipper on the nose.

Dipper groaned in frustration, "And what did I do wrong this time?"

"Our first date isn't over yet! And if you think I'm gonna let you leave half way through so you can read a book, you've got another thing coming!" Mabel said, her face fixed with a half stern look before morphing into a grin, "Our date is off to a great start: we've re-explored the creepy, dangerous bunker; nearly died at the claws of a mutant centipede; had a perfect, first kiss over its still-bleeding corpse—"

"Yeah, that's not getting any less weird," Dipper broke in.

"We found the author's secret bedroom, and, in his secret sock drawer, we found his secret book of magic; and finally we had the most intense make out session a girl could hope for on the author's secret bed. I'm still a little light headed from that." Mabel's eyes got Smile-Dip unfocused as she finished that sentence, her face radiant with joy and a soft blush on her cheeks. A soft blush that was slowly getting more intense, "Dipper has such warm hands…" Mabel giggled.

"Mabel….are you flashing back to something that happened 5 minutes ago? You're not hearing a word I'm saying, are you?"

"The shirt stays on, Dipper, but that doesn't mean I don't like the aggressiveness," Mabel's eyes remained unfocused and her voice a faraway whisper.

_Did I really try to do that? With __**Mabel**__? I've got to improve my self-control._ Dipper began sweating.

"No, Dipper, don't apologize," Mabel responded to an apology by day-dream-Dipper, "a girl likes knowing she's desired. And don't you dare remove your hand from my back or my shirt. Yeah, keeping rubbing right there. That's nice," Mabel continued, her knees were now rubbing together lightly.

_My God, I'm the worst brother in the universe. _

"Mabel. Mabel!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Wha….What, Dipper?" Mabel awoke as if from sleep.

"You sort of spaced out there." Dipper commented.

"I was just reminiscing. Memories are to be treasured," Mabel said, "Anyway, where was I?"

"The rest of our date," Dipper reminded her.

"Oh, yes. We are going to drop off our gear at the Shack, and then we are going to become wizards by practicing magic together!" Mabel smiled.

"That's what I was saying in the first place!" Dipper argued.

"No, Dipper, you were talking about _reading _the book cover to cover. I'm talking about picking a spell and actually _doing_ magic. See the difference?" Mabel countered.

"Fine, fine. No intensive reading, just doing," Dipper acquiesced.

"Hurrah, men of action are a turn on! Now , let's go!"

* * *

><p>Dipper and Mabel made the brief stop by the Mystery Shack before returning to the woods. They walked along with Mabel humming a song. Dipper was enjoying the peacefulness of the woods even though he kept a sharp eye out for danger; one could never be too alert in these woods. They walked deeper into the woods to the spot that use to have the haunted mailbox. This was mainly due to Dipper's paranoia, "I don't want anyone catching us practicing magic, Mabel. Now that the Blind Eye is no longer active; rumors of us doing unnatural things would spread like wildfire." <em>I could name a few unnatural things you are doing.<em> Dipper's conscience drawled sarcastically. _I swear that if you don't shut up about my relationships, I will start stepping on every cricket I see. _Dipper countered.

"Alright, Dipper, pick a page at random and lets start cracking the laws of physics," Mabel exclaimed as she did a little spin in the spot where the mailbox use to be.

"Don't you think we should read the intro first?" Dipper asked.

"Did you learn nothing from the Magic School Bus, Dipper? Come on, Its time to take chances, get messy, and make mistakes!" Mabel said enthusiastically.

"Last time I picked a page at random and read a sentence, I raised the dead. Do you want me to raise the dead again?" Dipper grinned in a teasing manner.

"…and we gonna read the intro!"

Dipper cracked open the book and began reading.

_These writings were charged to me by my sire in the year AD 1795, for he wished for the youth of our community who did not receive a classical education to be able to understand the sacred spells that were handed down by our people throughout the millennia. The sacred words cannot be translated for they lose their power when one does so; however, I shall make plain all instructions and warnings in the common tongues of the English, French, and Germans as to what the spell accomplishes and the skill the caster requires to make use of it. _

_First, I must explain that the low skilled spells merely require the caster to simply say the incantation and the spell will be activated. The midrange skilled spells will require that the caster say the incantation while willing the spell into existence. A focusing gem may be used to ease the casting of spells. When one has a gem he may think of the spell and will it into being without an incantation. The most difficult spells require that one have a focusing gem on his person while saying the incantation, but if you are to attempt focusing gem spells; you must make the focusing gem yourself. For when one uses a focusing gem a piece of his soul gets placed into the gem. When another uses the gem, a spirit of madness will pervert his soul._

"Well that certainly explains Gideon," Dipper commented, interrupting his own reading, "Poor, little monster."

_Focusing gems can be made of large stones that one may see through in bright light, such as diamonds or rubies; however, for the spell caster of lesser means, a piece of colored glass fashioned into the shape of a gem would do. Glass would weaken the spell's overall strength, but with enough practice this weakening can be overcome._

_May Luna, Lady of the Moon, watch over you, young vampires, and keep you from all harm._

"And the next paragraph's in French," Dipper finished.

"Alright, history lesson over. Now it's time to rock and roll," Mabel grabbed the book and started flipping through the pages, "Ah-hah, a low level ice spell. I'm going to be a Disney princess with a creepy fixation on her sibling!"

"You don't say…," Dipper coughed, "Where did you even get that notion on sibling relationships in Frozen?"

"Don't pretend you didn't notice the subtext, Dipper. Half the internet went cray cray over it, and I know you're the type to join the discussion," Mabel joked before getting back to reading. Mabel read over the incantation a few times before putting the book down.

"Okay, I'm ready," Mabel took a breath, "Dominos de monty: et glacys ventos!"

And nothing happened, "Oh, come one, I wanna be a snow queen! What went wrong!" Mabel shouted in frustration.

Dipper looked over the incantation, "You mispronounced it. Its Latin, so I guess you need the proper pronunciation to make it work. Let me try." Dipper set the book down.

"**Dominus de monte. Et glacies ventus!" **Dipper thrust his palm out, and as he finished the spell a cold wind blew from it. The wind carried quite a bit of snow with a few shards of ice mixed in, it went a few yards before settling softly onto the ground.

Mabel whistled, "Good show, Dipper! I think I got the right way to say it now."

Mabel took up position beside Dipper and thrust her palm forward: "**Dominus de monte. Et glacies ventus!**" And an even stronger blast of wind mixed with mostly ice shards and some snow issued forth. The ice shards impacted a tree 15 yards way and penetrated deeply. Mabel whooped in victory.

Dipper felt a sting of sibling jealous in his heart, "We used the exact same spell; why is yours so much more powerful?"

"Because I am the Alpha snow queen! Lesser snow queens tremble at my name!" Mabel started laughing at her own joke, but slowly stopped when she realized Dipper had not joined her.

"What is it, Dipper?"

"I just don't get why my spell was so much weaker than yours," Dipper tried not to sound childish. He really did.

"Don't get all insecure; Dip," Mabel sighed as she bent down to play in the snow Dipper made, "These are literally the first spells we have ever used. It takes practice to truly master it."

Dipper looked away, embarrassed by his own reaction to Mabel out doing him. Then he felt a snow ball impact the back of his head. Dipper turned to see Mabel balling up a second ball.

"And no wallowing in embarrassment either!" Mabel grinned as Dipper brushed snow from his hair.

"You do realize, Mabel, that this means war!" Dipper had a matching grin on his face as he grabbed a fist full of snow to retaliate with.

"Be warned: the snow queen takes no prisoners!"

Thus began Dipper and Mabel's first July snow ball fight as a couple.

* * *

><p>The fight was furious: snow was fired with precise and malicious intent. Though the fact that is was in the heat of a July afternoon made the shock of icy contact more refreshing than biting. Mabel and Dipper spent a few minutes rolling snow balls as fast as they could and chucking them at each other with as much force as possible. Mabel being the more athletic of the two exhausted the supply of snow directly in front of her first. It was then that she made the fateful mistake of turning her back to Dipper and bending down to roll the biggest snow ball she could.<p>

Dipper was briefly distracted by the sight Mabel had presented to him. _She is too perfect._ Dipper shook his head._ Get a grip, man. This will end and we'll go back to the way we were._ For some reason that thought filled him with despair. Dipper shook his head again, and took a second look at Mabel. She was still rolling the biggest snow ball of her life, _and her skirt was still pulled tight over her butt._

It was in that moment that a wicked thought crossed Dipper's mind. With a sadistic grin, Dipper grabbed a fistful of snow and snuck up on Mabel's hunched over form. Just as she righted herself with God's snowball in both her hands, Dipper grabbed the neck of her sweater (which was a deep purple color with a white star on it), pulled it open, and dumped the snow down her back. She made the cutest yelping noise Dipper had ever heard, and dropped the snowball from hell.

Mabel turned somewhat angry that her snowball went to waste.

"Dipper…" Mabel growled, "you're gonna pay for that!"

And with that she tackled him into a pile of snow. Dipper struggled a little, but Mabel was definitely the stronger of the two. Eventually she secured both of Dipper's arms by the wrists above his head. The brief struggle left than both gasping. Dipper looked up, and lost his breath. Mabel in that moment was the most beautiful thing he had even seen. Her wavy, chestnut hair was wild and filled with tiny snow crystals that had caught the rays of the sun. Her hair looked to be holding a thousand stars. In that instant Dipper knew he would trade the whole world just to have her. She had the cosmos in her hair, and selfishly Dipper wanted it all for himself. _I never want this to end. Even when I get Mabel's memories back, and she hates me forever, I'll still long for her. I'll never stop needing her in the most desperate way._

And Dipper found his arm rising to run his fingers through her soft curls. He had touch her hair during the earlier making out, but for some reason this felt more intimate. _It might be because you've finally accepted your undying love for her_.

Mabel had been looking into Dipper's eyes the entire time. She was a little taken aback by the intensity of all the emotions that Dipper was nakedly displaying for her to see. Somewhere in the struggle Dipper's hat had been knocked from his head and his tousled hair left his deformity bare for her to see. He lay under her totally exposed, and she still loved him. For all his unfailing bravery and devotion, she loved him. For all his faults, dorkiness, and paranoia, she loved him all the more. When the atmosphere between them had shifted from playful competition to something more tender, Mabel released her hold on Dipper's wrists. And when Mabel found Dipper touching her hair, she found herself reciprocating.

She brushed aside Dipper's bangs gently so that now his entire forehead was revealed to her. Dipper's hands stilled, and Mabel could see the struggle inside Dipper's heart between insecurity and trust. Mabel knew trust had won, when Dipper's hands continued their slow dance in the heavens of her hair. The look of adoration Dipper was giving Mabel filled her with butterflies that danced across her chest. She loved the feeling of Dipper's fingers running through her hair. As she reveled in his touch, she realized that she was straddling his hips, and yet she didn't feel self-conscious or ashamed of this compromising position. She only felt love, and she wanted Dipper to feel it too.

Mabel bent down and pressed a soft kiss to Dipper's forehead, at the very center of his birthmark.

She then placed her cheek to his and whispered in his ear, "I love you, all of you, always."

And as she raised her head away, she saw tears in his eyes.

"And I want you to know that I will always love you too, Mabel. No matter what. I need you to know that. Whatever happens, I'll still love you," Dipper was able to hold himself together, but barely. _Even when you hate me, Mabel, I will love you till all the stars fall from your hair and there is nothing but darkness._

Then Dipper brought Mabel down to envelop her in a needful hug, and—even though he still feared the inevitable loss—in that moment he was perfectly at peace.

* * *

><p>Hours later the creature stepped out of the bunker for the first time in months. The sun by then was so low in the sky that the shadows of the trees protected the being from its deadly rays. The creature breathed deeply and noted that the scent of the interlopers who stole the sacred text had faded, but was still traceable.<p>

"I will find you, human thieves, or I am not Lucia Noctua of the Western Clans!" Her head held high, her pack and UV proof tent secure on her back, and her emergency umbrella by her side, she took her first step towards completing her destiny. _Once I bring the text to Father Caefus, he will have to take my as his apprentice. Once I have the text, it will all be worth it._

* * *

><p>AN: And there you have it. So just to recap: Dipper is totally out of the denial stage, Mabel still hasn't a clue (and even though Dipper wants her to have her memories back; he also doesn't want some one just telling her that they're siblings), and I've introduced an antagonist.<p>

Google translate did the Latin sections. I know just enough Latin to know that I don't know Latin, so the spells may be awesome or a failure depending on your skill level.

**Dominus de monte. Et glacies ventus!**: Out of the mountain. Wind and Ice! or Out of the mountain: The icy wind.

I hope you all liked it, and (if Physics doesn't kill me) I hope to continue in a timely manner.


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